QUEST 
OFALISTAIR 

ROBERT  ALLISON 
HOOD 


11  0.  hL^l 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 
ROBERT   ALLISON   HOOD 


THE   QUEST   OF 
ALISTAIR 


BY 


ROBERT  ALLISON  HOOD 

AUTHOR   OF   "THE   CHIVALRY  OF    KEITH  LEICESTER,"   ETC. 


1  , ' 


<    .  .      < 


NEW  ^Wr  YORK 
GEORGE   H.    DORAN   COMPANY 


COPYRIGHT,  1921, 
(  BY  GEORGE  H.  DORAN  COMPANY 

-       ' 


GIFT 


PRINTED  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  OF  AMERICA 


O  Reader,  pent  in  city  street, 

Ride  with  me  now,  your  cares  beguile 

Out  on  the  range  where  winds  blow  sweet. 

Leave  pavements  hard  that  tire  your  feet, 
Roam  uplands  rolling  mile  on  mile, 
O  Reader  pent  in  city  street ! 

Leave  winter  cold  or  summer  heat — 

Forget  the  daily  round  awhile, 

Out  on  the  range  where  winds  blow  sweet. 

Tis  yours  to  hear  the  rapid  beat 
Of  hoofs,  to  feel  the  campfire's  wile, 
O  Reader  pent  in  city  street ! 

The  wide  wastes  call,  the  stars  entreat — 
So,  rise  and  ride,  true  Western  style, 
O  Reader  pent  in  city  street, 
Out  on  the  range  where  winds  blow  sweet. 


9|>6i£ 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 


THE  QUEST  OF 
ALISTAIR 


CHAPTER  I 

ON  a  fine  windy  morning  late  in  April,  a  young  man  of 
twenty-one  climbed  the  stairs  from  the  Waverley  Sta- 
tion, and  turned  down  Princes  Street  towards  the  Scott 
Monument,  glancing  about  him  keenly  and  sniffing  the  air 
with  evident  enjoyment  after  the  closeness  of  the  railway 
carriage  from  which  he  had  lately  emerged.  The  gardens 
to  the  left  of  him  glistened  in  their  Spring  verdure.  Even 
the  solemn  statues  that  stood  sentinel  along  their  borders 
seemed  to  have  taken  on  an  unwonted  air  of  animation 
borrowed  from  the  quick  passage  of  the  fleecy  clouds  across 
the  sky  and  the  quivering  tremulous  ecstasies  of  the  trees 
and  shrubs  as  they  bent  before  the  vigorous  gusts  of  the 
East  wind,  salty  with  the  tang  of  the  North  Sea.  The  throng 
of  foot  passengers,  too,  always  an  interesting  one  on  this 
most  romantic  of  thoroughfares,  seemed  in  accord  with  the 
rompish  mood  of  Nature.  Girls  with  faces  flushed  and  smil- 
ing struggled  to  hold  their  headgear,  and  elderly  ladies,  as 
they  mounted  to  the  tops  of  tramcars,  fought  bravely  to 
subdue  the  transports  of  tempestuous  skirts  that  spread 
themselves  flamboyantly  as  if  possessed.  Even  brown- 
kneed  kilties  from  the  Castle  barracks  realised  that  there 
might  be  times  when  the  prosaic  trousers  had  their  points  of 
excellence  over  the  more  picturesque  national  costume. 

The  young  man  smiled  as  he  noted  at  a  windy  corner  an 
elderly  gentleman  of  corpulent  habit  trotting  clumsily  but 

7 


8  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

gamely  after  his  top-hat  which  was  careering  sportively 
acro^i,  the  street,  pausing  now  and  then  in  its  course  as  if 
loath  to  discourage  its  pursuer  by  outdistancing  him  too 
greatly.  Again  his  face  lit  up  with  amusement  as  he  threw  a 
penny  to  a  street  urchin  who,  noting  his  indulgent  eye,  had 
thought  it  worth  his  while  to  cut  a  few  Catherine  Wheels 
in  front  of  him,  thereby  disclosing  serious  deficiencies  in  his 
nether  garments  which  had  not  been  evident  so  long  as  he 
remained  right  side  up. 

"Funny  little  beggar,"  the  young  man  muttered  to  him- 
self as  the  boy,  touching  a  grimy  hand  to  his  cap,  flitted 
off  in  the  direction  of  the  nearest  pastrycook's.  "How  fine 
to  be  so  happy-go-lucky.  It's  evident  the  problems  of  life 
don't  worry  him  much,"  he  said ;  and  he  sighed  in  spite  of 
the  exhilaration  of  the  east  wind. 

Along  near  the  National  Gallery  the  young  man  turned  up 
a  side  street  for  one  block  and  then  entered  another  narrow 
one  at  right  angles,  which  was  composed  of  such  sombre 
but  respectable  looking  dwelling  houses  of  two  or  three 
stories  as  are  so  plentifully  to  be  found  in  the  Scottish 
Capital.  The  contrast  between  the  life  and  colour  of  the 
shops,  with  their  crowds  of  passers-by,  and  the  silence  and 
deserted  appearance  of  this  side-eddy  was  a  marked  one ;  but 
the  young  man  did  not  appear  to  notice  it.  He  strode  along 
with  the  assured  step  of  one  who  knows  where  he  is  going 
and  stopped  at  a  house  not  very  far  down,  on  the  door  of 
which  was  a  brass  plate  containing  the  inscription : 

DURIE  AND   MONCUR 
SOLICITORS 

Ringing  the  bell,  the  young  man  was  ushered  upstairs  by 
a  trim  maid  in  white  cap  and  apron,  where  an  elderly  gentle- 
man sat  before  a  table  that  was  literally  covered  with  papers 
apparently  in  the  wildest  confusion.  He  rose  with  an  un- 
mistakable air  of  pleasure  to  welcome  his  visitor  and  shook 
him  warmly  by  the   hand. 

"Alistair,  my  lad,  I'm  glad  to  see  you,  indeed.     And 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  9 

what  has  blown  you  up  here  at  this  time  of  the  year  ?  You 
can't  be  taking  your  holidays  yet  surely?"  he  said  as  his 
visitor  seated  himself  comfortably  in  an  armchair  opposite 
him  with  the  air  of  one  who  felt  much  at  home.  "Have  you 
arrived  from  London  this  morning?" 

"No,"  the  young  man  replied,  "I  came  down  to  Grey- 
crags  yesterday  on  receipt  of  a  telegram  from  my  father. 
He  had  had  a  letter  that  worried  him  and  he  wanted  to 
talk  it  over  with  me,  so  I  came  down  at  once.  I  must  go 
up  again  to-night  though,  as  I  have  a  case  to  plead  to- 
morrow." 

"Ah,  the  briefs  are  beginning  to  come  in,  are  they? 
You'll  make  your  mark  among  those  London  barristers. 
They'll  find  that  chin  of  yours  is  not  to  be  lightly  regarded." 

The  young  man  smiled  and  his  smile  was  a  very  winning 
one.  In  repose  his  profile  was  clearcut  and  handsome,  the 
chin  square  and  prominent  but  the  mouth  small  and  sensi- 
tive ;  the  nose  fine  and  Grecian  but  slightly  crooked,  a  defect 
which  was  only  noticeable  from  the  front  view  but  was 
more  evident  when  he  smiled,  and  seemed  to  impart  an  in- 
dividuality to  a  face  that  without  it  might  have  seemed  some- 
what too  coldly  regular.  Blue  eyes  and  a  fine,  high  fore- 
head surmounted  by  auburn  hair  of  a  wavy  texture,  made 
up  a  countenance  that  was  striking  and  attractive  to  a  de- 
gree. His  figure,  slightly  above  the  medium  height,  slim  of 
waist  and  wide  of  shoulder,  looked  slimmer  and  more  deli- 
cate than  it  really  was. 

The  trend  of  the  conversation  seemed  not  to  his  liking 
and  he  hastened  to  change  it. 

"Yes,"  he  said,  "chin  is  all  very  well  but  it  isn't  every- 
thing. One  needs  a  'dome'  as  a  Yankee  friend  of  mine 
expresses  it ;  and  I  confess  I  am  faced  with  a  problem  now 
that  is  too  much  for  me,  so  I  have  come  to  you  to  solve  it." 

"Humph,"  grunted  the  elder  man  with  a  shrug:  "more 
likely  you  might  say  you  are  faced  with  a  problem  you  think 
you  have  solved  and  you  want  me  to  agree  with  you  that 
you  have  solved  it  correctly.  I  know  the  breed  of  you  young 
men  all  right.    One  doesn't  pass  the  two  and  a  half  score 


io  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

milestone  for  nothing.  However,  I'll  listen  at  any  rate,"  and 
he  leaned  back  in  his  chair  and  inserted  his  thumbs  in  the 
armpits  of  his  vest,  spreading  the  fingers  receptively. 

"You  remember  that  investment  that  Father  made  in  Brit- 
ish Columbia" — the  young  man  began  with  something  of  a 
deprecatory  air. 

"That  was  the  eight  per  cent  mortgage  on  a  cattle  ranch, 
I  suppose.  Yes,  believe  me  it's  not  one  that  I  am  likely 
to  forget.  I  strongly  advised  your  father  at  the  time  to 
have  nothing  to  do  with  it.  It  was  for  six  thousand  pounds, 
was  it  not?" 

"A  little  more  than  that,  thirty  thousand  dollars." 

"I  wanted  your  father  to  pay  off  the  mortgage  on  Grey- 
crags.  Instead  he  thought  it  was  best  to  let  it  remain  and 
invest  the  money  at  eight  per  cent  when  he  was  only  paying 
three.    I  suppose  it  has  turned  out  badly,  has  it?" 

The  old  man's  airy  attitude  of  expectation  had  changed  to 
one  of  keen  concern  and  he  now  leaned  forward  with  lower- 
ing brows  surveying  his  visitor  with  close  attention,  his 
small,  grey  eyes  peering  out  fiercely  from  under  the  shaggy 
eyebrows. 

"I'm  rather  afraid  that  it  has,"  admitted  the  young  man 
sadly,  as  he  took  a  letter  from  his  pocket  and  unfolding 
it,  handed  it  to  the  solicitor.  "Perhaps  if  you  will  read  that 
it  will  give  you  some  idea  of  how  matters  stand." 

The  letter  was  typewritten  and  the  old  man,  having  ad- 
justed his  glasses  with  some  little  parade,  took  it  up  and 
read  as  follows : 

543  Granville  Street, 
Vancouver,  B.  C., 
15th  March,  19 — 

John  Kilgour,  Esq., 
Greycrags  Farm, 
Selkirk,  Scotland. 
Dear  Sir: — 

We  duly  received  yours  of  the  5th  ult,  and 
regret  very  much  that  we  have  been  unable  to  forward  you 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  n 

anything  on  account  of  the  De  Roche  mortgage  as  we  had 
fully  hoped  by  this  time  to  have  remitted  you  for  the  arrears 
in  full  as  well  as  at  least  half  of  the  principal  of  the  chattel 
mortgage. 

You  will  recall  that  in  the  summer  of  last  year  on  account 
of  the  severe  cold  of  the  winter  preceding  and  the  lack  of 
fodder  having  greatly  reduced  Mr.  De  Roche's  stock  of 
cattle,  he  approached  us  with  a  certain  proposition.  This 
was  that  we  not  only  allow  the  interest  accrued  to  remain 
unpaid  but  that  we  lend  him  another  ten  thousand  dollars  to 
be  applied  in  the  purchase  of  new  stock  and  that  we  take 
as  security  for  this  as  well  as  the  unpaid  interest,  a  chattel 
mortgage  over  the  whole  of  his  live  stock.  As  Mr.  De 
Roche's  covenant  was  good  and  the  value  of  the  stock  was 
several  times  that  of  the  money  required,  we  recommended 
the  loan  to  you  on  the  understanding  and  with  the  full 
belief  that  it  would  be  paid  off  this  spring  from  the  pro- 
ceeds of  the  beef  cattle  that  would  be  ready  for  sale.  Mr. 
De  Roche  is  an  excellent  stockman  with  a  tried  reputation 
and  it  seemed  reasonably  certain  that  he  would  be  well  able 
to  do  this  as  he  promised.  The  additional  loan  was  accord- 
ingly made. 

Unfortunately  Mr.  De  Roche  was  stricken  with  a 
paralytic  shock  last  autumn  and  was  laid  aside  from  the 
possibility  of  any  more  active  participation  in  the  manage- 
ment of  the  ranch  which  was  then  left  to  a  young  son  and 
his  cousin.  The  former  appears  to  be  somewhat  wild,  and 
he  and  the  cousin  together  seem  to  have  made  a  mess  of  it. 
At  any  rate,  when  spring  came,  not  only  had  they  let  a  con- 
siderable number  of  the  stock  die,  but  those  animals  that 
had  come  through  the  winter  all  right,  were  so  poor  that  it 
was  impossible  to  fatten  them  so  as  to  make  them  fit  to  be 
sold  for  beef.  They  had  therefore  to  be  turned  out  on  the 
range  and  will  not  be  available  for  sale  until  the  late  fall, 
probably  about  October.  Neither  the  interest  nor  the  prin- 
cipal of  the  chattel  mortgage  has  been  paid,  nor  have  we  been 
able  to  collect  anything  on  account  of  the  interest  on  the  old 
mortgage. 

The  writer,  being  alarmed  over  the  situation,  has  just  re- 
turned from  a  trip  to  the  De  Roche  ranch.  He  thought  it 
advisable  to  find  out  at  first  hand  just  what  the  conditions 


12  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

were  as  it  proved  impossible  to  get  any  satisfaction  from 
correspondence.  De  Roche  appeared  to  be  anxious  to  do 
what  was  right  and  was  much  distressed  over  his  inability 
to  pay  the  interest ;  but  he  seemed  to  be  relying  entirely  upon 
his  nephew  or  manager  as  he  really  is  now.  When  the 
writer  threatened  to  distrain  on  the  stock  for  the  chattel 
mortgage,  he  said  it  would  ruin  him  and  make  it  impossible 
for  him  to  be  able  to  meet  his  liabilities  on  the  other  mort- 
gage, as  without  the  stock  his  ranch  would  not  pay  at  all. 
There  was  a  good  deal  of  truth  in  this  contention  and  there 
is  no  doubt  that  if  there  is  a  good  price  for  beef  cattle  in 
the  Fall,  De  Roche  should  then  be  in  a  good  position  to  pay 
up  all  his  interest  at  least.  The  cousin  was  very  rich  in 
promises  but  the  writer  was  not  at  all  favourably  impressed 
by  him.  He  said  that  they  had  required  all  the  funds 
that  had  been  taken  in  to  pay  the  men  and  other  current 
expenses  and  that  they  would  have  nothing  to  pay  to  us  for 
several  months.  It  appears  too,  that  they  had  secured  a  con- 
siderable advance  from  the  bank  at  last  harvest  season  which 
had  never  been  paid  back. 

If  De  Roche,  himself,  had  been  running  the  ranch  we 
should  have  been  willing  perhaps  to  wait  to  give  him  time  to 
realise  to  advantage  on  his  cattle,  but  he  is  confined  to  his 
chair  and  is  unable  to  take  any  direction  of  things.  With 
the  present  management,  which  is  apparently  shiftless  and 
irresponsible,  the  situation  is  far  from  satisfactory.  The 
stock  might  be  sold  off  in  spite  of  your  chattel  mortgage  and 
we  might  not  be  any  the  wiser  for  months  after  the  event. 
We  were,  however  loath  to  distrain  without  your  definite 
instructions  and  we  are  writing  you  now  to  ask  you  to  cable 
what  you  wish  us  to  do  in  the  matter.  If  De  Roche  would 
have  let  us  put  our  own  manager  in  to  run  the  place  till  the 
chattel  mortgage  and  arrears  of  interest  were  paid  off,  we 
should  have  been  quite  satisfied  but  he  absolutely  refused  to 
do  this.  An  alternative  to  this  would  be  to  send  a  competent 
man  up  there  to  look  after  your  interests,  if  De  Roche  would 
consent  to  have  him  on  the  place,  as  I  dare  say  he  would. 
This  would  mean  additional  expense,  and  it  might  be  hard 
to  get  hold  of  the  right  man. 

We  would  ask  you  therefore  to  kindly  cable  at  once 
whether  you  wish  to  take  immediate  proceedings  against  De 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  13 

Roche  to  realise  on  the  stock  or  what  alternative  action  you 
would  suggest. 

Yours  truly, 

Bancroft  and  Atherton. 

The  frown  on  the  old  lawyer's  face  deepened  as  he  read 
the  letter  carefully  through;  and  he  glanced  back  with  some 
care  over  its  contents  before  he  finally  laid  it  down  with 
a  slight  shrug.  Then  he  glanced  up  again  at  the  young  man 
who  sat  watching  him  with  an  expression  that  betrayed 
some  anxiety. 

"This  chattel  mortgage  is  something  new  to  me.  Your 
father  never  told  me  anything  about  it,"  he  said  at  last. 
"I  was,  indeed,  completely  unaware  that  he  had  any  such 
sum  as  ten  thousand  dollars  available  for  such  a  wildcat 
investment  as  this  appears  to  have  been.  I  know  that  it  has 
been  hard  enough  for  me  to  scrape  up  enough  money  to  pay 
the  interest  on  the  bond  on  Greycrags  which,  by  the  way, 
falls  due  this  next  month.  How  we  are  to  meet  it,  I'm 
sure  I  don't  know,"  he  added  in  an  aggrieved  parenthesis. 

"As  a  matter  of  fact,"  the  young  man  admitted  hesitat- 
ingly, "that  ten  thousand  was  my  money.  It  was  the  legacy 
which  I  got  from  my  mother's  estate.  This  seemed  a  good 
enough  investment — at  least,  father  thought  it  was  and  I 
was  willing  to  abide  by  his  judgment.  I  was  only  getting  two 
per  cent  in  the  bank  and  eight  seemed  so  much  better." 

Mr.  Durie  spread  out  his  hands,  palms  outward,  with  a 
gesture  of  despair  and  groaned  audibly. 

"Fools  and  their  money!"  he  exclaimed.  "Eight  seemed 
so  much  better,"  he  repeated  sarcastically.  "Yes,  if  you 
get  it  but  it  might  as  well  be  a  hundred  if  you  don't.  And 
to  think  how  I've  schemed  and  slaved  to  get  your  father's 
affairs  into  better  shape  and  lain  awake  wondering  how  we 
were  to  be  able  to  meet  this  wretched  bond  when  it  comes 
due !  I  advised  him  against  this  British  Columbia  loan  when 
he  made  it." 

"Still  you  know  the  investment  may  come  out  all  right. 
The  way  I  size  it  up  is  this,"  argued  the  younger  man.    "The 


i4  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

ultimate  security  for  the  first  mortgage  on  the  land  is  prob- 
ably safe  enough;  but  if  it  is  necessary  to  take  out  fore- 
closure to  collect  on  it,  that  means  a  long-drawn-out  busi- 
ness. With  the  bond  on  Greycrags  soon  to  mature,  we  can't 
afford  to  wait  indefinitely.  But  the  chattel  mortgage  on 
which  my  money  is  invested  is  not  so  secure,  as  cattle  may 
die  if  they  are  not  attended  to,  or,  if  the  people  were  dis- 
honest, they  might  be  sold  without  reference  to  my  claim, 
and  my  security  would  be  gone.  At  the  same  time  if  we 
instruct  these  agents,  Bancroft  and  Atherton,  to  distrain  on 
the  stock,  while  we  would  probably  realise  that  money,  still 
we  might  be  making  it  hard  for  De  Roche  to  be  able  to  pay 
up  on  the  big  mortgage,  as  he  himself  claims. 

"Now,  I  have  thought  the  matter  over  and  talked  about 
it  with  him  and  we  have  come  to  the  conclusion — at  least 
I  have — and  he  has  given  his  consent,  that  the  only  thing 
to  do  is  for  me  to  go  out  myself  and  stay  there  with  De 
Roche,  all  summer  if  necessary,  until  the  cattle  are  sold  and 
he  pays  up.  The  agents  suggest  sending  someone  up,  but 
they  might  find  it  hard  to  get  a  reliable  man ;  and  I  feel  that 
there  is  too  much  at  stake  for  us  to  take  the  risk  of  entrust- 
ing the  business  to  a  stranger." 

"What,  go  off  like  a  madman  and  leave  your  profession 
just  when  the  ball  is  at  your  feet — you  cannot  mean  it 
surely,"  Mr.  Durie  burst  in,  his  whiskers  and  eyebrows 
seeming  to  quiver  in  the  heat  of  his  anger  and  disgust. 

"It  does  seem  a  pity,  doesn't  it ;  but  it's  not  on  account  of 
the  money  alone,"  the  young  man  pleaded,  "although  that's 
important  enough.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  I  have  had  some 
doubts  lately  as  to  whether,  after  all,  the  law  was  my  proper 
vocation.  While  I  enjoy  the  mental  exhilaration  of  getting 
up  the  cases  and  pitting  my  wits  against  the  other  fellows 
still,  at  the  bottom,  there  is  a  certain  sordidness  underlying  it 
all  that  one  can't  get  away  from.  If  one  is  to  succeed,  one  has 
to  truckle;  one  can't  always  be  on  the  side  of  justice.  A  fel- 
low has  some  ideals  when  he  leaves  college — or  he  should 
have_and  if  he  sees  that  in  his  chosen  profession  he  must 
make  up  his  mind  to  say  'good-bye'  to  them  it  is  a  rather 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  15 

tough  prospect.  Then,  again,  when  there  is  a  morning  like 
this  and  I  have  to  settle  down  to  musty  lawbooks  or  to  listen 
to  drear}-,  sordid  squabbles  in  gloomy  courtrooms,  I  feel 
that  I  am  losing  the  best  of  life.  I  get  the  wanderlust,  in 
fact.  I  suppose  you  think  I  talk  like  a  silly  schoolboy,"  he 
broke  off  apologetically,  "but  I  am  quite  in  earnest  all  the 
same." 

Mr.  Durie  got  up  and  walked  over  to  the  window  and 
gazed  out  of  it  fixedly,  one  hand  in  his  trouser  pocket  fum- 
bling with  a  bunch  of  keys.  He  stood  there  a  short  space 
and  gave  vent  to  a  subdued  sigh  before  speaking. 

"I  suppose  I  ought  to  scold  you  mightily,"  he  said  at  last, 
"I'm  sure  I  should — and  yet  I  don't  know.  When  I  was  a 
young  fellow  like  you,  I,  too,  had  a  notion  I  would  like  to 
see  the  world  but  my  father  had  this  business  before  me 
and  I  was  brought  up  with  the  knowledge  that  I  must  take 
his  place.  He  was  getting  old  and  was  anxious  to  have  my 
help  as  soon  as  I  was  qualified  and,  of  course,  I  was  con- 
sidered lucky  to  have  such  a  secure  thing  to  step  into,  a 
practice  all  made  for  me — and  I  thought  so  too  indeed. 
So  I  came  in  here  thinking  that  when  I  had  saved  some 
money  I  would  be  able  then  to  travel  and  gratify  my  desire 
to  see  the  world.  I  made  the  money  all  right  but  somehow 
it  seemed  that  I  could  never  get  away.  Responsibilities 
multiplied  as  the  business  grew;  and  now  here  I  am,  fifty 
last  February  and  I've  never  really  been  out  of  the  British 
Isles,  with  the  exception  perhaps  of  a  hurried  run  over  to 
Paris  for  a  day  or  two. 

"I  ought  to  scold  you,  my  boy,"  he  repeated,  "and  yet 
I  don't  know.  After  all,  it's  a  thankless  business  this  worry- 
ing over  other  people's  affairs.  You  get  absorbed  in  it  and 
your  youth  is  gone  before  you  know  it.  At  least,  that  was 
the  way  with  me.  By  the  time  I  was  in  a  position  to  take 
my  fling,  the  edge  of  the  desire  had  been  dulled  and  I  was 
too  snugly  settled  in  my  groove.  And  here  I  am  as  you 
see.  However,  that's  beside  the  question,"  he  broke  off 
briskly,  coming  back  and  resuming  his  seat,  "and  you've 


1 6  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

made  up  your  mind  anyway,  haven't  you?"  he  questioned 
with  a  smile. 

"Yes,  I  think  I  have,"  said  Alistair;  "six  months  should 
see  the  business  through  as  far  as  the  investment  is  con- 
cerned. After  that,  if  I  feel  like  it,  I  can  take  up  the  bar 
again  without  a  great  deal  of  harm  having  been  done.  1 
shall  be  only  twenty-three  then ;  and  the  experience  abroad 
will  not  be  wasted." 

"Well,  I  hope  your  quest  may  prove  successful,  my  boy 
It  is  rather  a  queer  one,  you  know,  and  hardly  as  romantic 
as  if  you  were  going  gold-digging  or  in  search  of  hidden 
treasure ;  but  it  may  turn  out  adventurous  enough.  If  you 
can  pull  your  father's  chestnut  out  of  the  fire  and  your  own 
too  it  may  be  worth  while,"  Mr.  Durie  replied  glancing  at 
his  watch ;  "but  you  had  better  lunch  with  me  at  the  Club 
and  we  shall  talk  it  over  further.  I  have  an  appointment 
now  with  an  old  lady  client — whose  will  I  am  drawing  the 
fifth  time,  by  the  way — and  I  must  not  keep  her  waiting." 


CHAPTER  II 

HERE  comes  Olney  with  the  mail  at  last  and  Ted  isn't 
with  him.    I  do  wish  he  would  be  a  little  more  regular 
about  coming  to  meals.    He  is  getting  quite  thin." 

The  speaker  was  a  young  girl  just  on  the  threshold  of 
womanhood.  About  the  middle  height,  she  looked  taller 
than  she  was  because  of  the  slim  lines  of  her  figure  and 
the  erectness  of  her  pose  as  she  gazed  intently  down  along 
the  narrow  road  that  skirted  the  lake,  lying  smooth  and 
mirrorlike  against  its  wooded  background,  which  reflected 
faithfully  the  many-shaded  colouring  of  the  hills  above. 
A  horseman  had  just  made  his  appearance  around  the  cor- 
ner where  the  road  disappeared  and  was  approaching  at 
a  sharp  gallop. 

"What  nonsense  you  do  talk  about  your  brother,  Lor- 
raine," said  her  companion  querulously,  a  man  of  about  fifty, 
who  looked  older  than  he  was  by  reason  of  sickness  and 
who  sat  in  a  wheeled  chair  on  the  verandah  beside  her. 
"You  know  very  well  how  many  things  he  has  to  attend 
to.  A  cattleman  must  eat  when  he  can  and  not  when  he 
will." 

"Yes,  Father,  I  know,"  said  the  girl  with  a  faint  sigh; 
"but  Ted  isn't  very  strong  and  he  doesn't  have  to  ride  the 
range  the  way  you  did.  He's  oftener  at  Tim  White's  than 
he  should  be.  He  thinks  it  is  manly  to  drink  with  the  other 
men  but  I  know  it  isn't  good  for  him." 

"I  do  wish  that  you  wouldn't  be  such  a  tale-bearer  on 
your  brother,"  the  sick  man  replied  with  some  irritation. 
"I'm  sure  Olney  is  always  saying  what  a  fine  boy  he  is — 
that  he  is  his  right  hand  in  managing  the  place.  Now  that 
I  have  been  stricken  down,  it  is  a  mercy  we  had  your  cousin 
Olney  to  step  into  my  place  though  he  has  been  unlucky 
with  the  stock  this  winter." 

17 


1 8  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

"Yes,  indeed,  Father,"  said  the  girl  heartily  enough,  "but 
all  the  same  he  is  inclined  to  spoil  Ted  just  as  you  are. 
I  don't  like  tale-bearing  as  you  call  it,"  she  went  on  earn- 
estly, "but  I  can't  bear  to  see  Ted  getting  into  such  ways — 
there,  I  am  worrying  you,  dear,  when  I  shouldn't,  and 
I'm  sorry,"  she  broke  off  coming  over  to  pat  the  pillows  and 
fondle  the  thin,  white  hand  that  rested  on  the  arm  of  the 
chair.  The  lines  that  had  been  wrinkling  the  forehead  of 
the  invalid  smoothed  themselves  gradually  out  as  the  fair 
cheek  with  its  clear,  transparent  hue  and  suggestion  of 
lurking  freckles  was  laid  against  his,  and  the  golden  auburn 
hair  brushed  lightly  against  the  grizzled  temples.  There 
was  a  strong  likeness  between  the  two  faces  thus  brought 
together,  the  same  pink  transparency  of  skin,  the  same 
patrician  delicacy  of  feature  as  shown  in  the  fine  chiselling 
of  the  nose  and  mouth  and  the  smallness  of  the  ear  and 
the  graceful  arch  of  the  eyebrow.  In  the  man's  face,  how- 
ever, there  were  discernible  the  marks  of  the  stroke  that 
had  in  a  moment  cut  him  off  from  his  active  career  and 
had  not  only  robbed  him  of  his  physical  strength  but  had 
clouded  the  brightness  of  a  mind  that  had  before  been 
remarkable  for  its  keenness  and  sound  judgment. 

"Oh,  there  he  is  now,"  she  broke  in  as  another  horseman 
appeared  riding  very  swiftly  and  rapidly  overtaking  the 
first  so  that  they  turned  in  together  at  the  gateway,  which 
was  about  a  hundred  yards  from  the  house,  and  came  down 
the  avenue  of  cottonwoods  at  a  brisk  trot,  passing  round 
to  the  stables  at  the  rear.  In  a  few  minutes  they  returned 
on  foot  by  the  front  door,  having  come  through  the  house. 
The  elder  of  the  two  threw  himself  into  a  cane  rocker 
beside  the  invalid,  but  his  smile  was  for  the  girl  as  he 
opened  the  white  canvas  mailbag  and  began  to  take  out  a 
number  of  letters  and  newspapers.  He  was  in  appearance 
about  thirty-five,  tall,  and  very  powerfully  built;  and  the 
careless  freedom  of  his  dress  with  shirt  open  at  the  throat, 
no  vest,  and  trousers  secured  by  a  belt  about  the  waist  served 
to  accentuate  the  suggestion  of  great  muscular  vigour.  A 
slight  tendency  towards  heaviness  was  apparent  in  a  round- 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  19 

ness  of  the  shoulders  and  the  amplitude  of  the  waistline 
as  compared  with  the  chest,  while  the  head  large  and  well- 
shaped  was  in  keeping  with  the  torso.  The  features  were 
regular,  the  nose  slightly  aquiline,  the  mouth  large  and 
loose-lipped,  half  concealed  by  a  heavy  brown  moustache, 
and  the  eyes  of  a  light  blue  with  long  lashes  like  a  girl's.  A 
ruddy  complexion  improved  the  general  effect  which  was 
distinctly  pleasing  except  for  a  certain  heaviness  when  the 
face  was  in  repose. 

"Just  one  for  you  this  time,  Miss  Lorraine,"  he  said 
tossing  a  letter  into  her  lap,  "and  only  one  for  me.  It's 
from  these  mortgage  sharks,  too,"  he  added,  the  smile 
changing  into  a  scowl  as  he  slit  the  envelope  with  his  knife 
and  unfolded  the  letter  before  him.  "I  wonder  what  they 
have  to  say  now." 

The  girl  who  had  begun  to  open  her  own  letter  looked 
up  with  concern  and  her  glance  passed  quickly  from  the 
younger  man  to  her  father.  As  she  noted  the  shade  of 
anxiety  that  had  crossed  his  face,  her  hand  stole  out  and 
clasped  his  tenderly.  The  two  kept  their  eyes  fixed  on 
the  reader's  face,  the  old  man,  with  head  down,  looking  up 
under  contracted  brows,  the  girl  with  parted  lips  and  bated 
breath.  On  the  verandah  rail,  her  brother  flicked  idly  with 
his  gauntlet  at  the  rowel  of  his  spur. 

"Listen  to  this,"  Olney  Layburn  cried  with  a  laugh  that 
had  little  of  mirth;  and  he  began  to  read  from  the  letter: 
"Being  alarmed  by  the  unsatisfactory  condition  of  the  loan, 
Mr.  Kilgour  has  come  out  from  Scotland  himself  to  look 
into  the  matter  and  will  be  with  you  in  the  course  of  a  few 
days.  It  is  imperative  for  him  that  the  chattel  mortgage 
should  be  paid  in  full  this  Fall  and  the  interest  paid  up  to 
date.  The  proper  course  would  be  to  sell  the  stock  at 
once,  under  the  powers  contained  in  the  former  and  start 
foreclosure  upon  the  land  as  well ;  but  Mr.  Kilgour  is  loath 
to  take  any  harsh  measures  if  it  can  be  avoided  and  he  has 
this  alternative  to  propose  which  we  think  is  a  very  fair 
and  reasonable  one.  He  will  stay  with  you  on  the  ranch 
all  summer  and  must  have  full  cognizance  of  all  receipts 


20  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

and  expenditures.  He  may  also  wish  to  have  some  voice 
in  the  policy  of  the  working  of  the  place.  Should  Mr.  De 
Roche  or  yourself  object  to  this  arrangement,  which  we 
trust,  however,  will  not  be  the  case,  then  there  would  be  no 
other  course  but  to  take  immediate  proceedings.  As  Mr. 
Kilgour  will  arrive  very  soon  after  this  letter,  it  will  be 
quite  satisfactory  for  you  to  deal  directly  with  him.  Yours 
truly,  Bancroft  and  Atherton." 

When  the  reader  had  concluded  there  was  a  brief  silence 
which  was  broken  by  the  youth,  Ted. 

"The  miserable  swine!"  he  burst  out.  "What  do  they 
mean,  I  would  like  to  know !  This  haw-haw  Englishman 
thinks  he  has  come  out  to  be  a  boss  and  a  spy  over  us, 
does  he?  Ha,  ha,  ha!  I  don't  think,"  and  he  laughed 
out  loud  with  all  a  boy's  impetuosity.  "As  for  me  I  call 
it  rich.  I  bet  he  wears  an  eyeglass  and  talks  with  a  lisp. 
Bah  Jove,  ma  deah  sistah,"  he  mimicked,  erecting  an 
invisible  monocle  and  screwing  up  his  eye  in  the  approved 
fashion  of  the  Englishman  on  the  stage,  "I  weally  think 
that  we  shall  have  some  doocid  fun  with  this  fellaw,  don'- 
cher  know,  eh  what?  I  weally  envy  him  the  charming  time 
that  he  is  going  to  have." 

The  girl's  eyes  sought  those  of  the  invalid  to  see  the 
effect  that  the  reading  of  the  letter  had  had  on  him. 

It  was  quite  evident  that  he  had  realised  its  import  also 
and  his  distress  of  mind  was  clearly  shown  in  the  drawn 
look  on  his  features,  and  even  in  his  attitude  of  strained 
attention  which,  since  the  conclusion  of  the  reading,  he  had 
not  relaxed. 

"It's  the  first  time  that  Dick  De  Roche  ever  defaulted  on 
a  debt  yet,"  he  groaned,  "and  I'm  fair  ashamed  of  it. 
They're  getting  nervous  about  it,  Olney,  it  seems,  and  you 
can't  blame  them ;  but  we  must  sell  enough  stock  to  give  it 
to  them  at  once,  eh  ?" 

"Don't  you  worry  about  it,  Father  dear,"  the  girl  said 
coming  quickly  to  his  side  and  laying  her  cheek  against  his. 
"It'll  be  all  paid  up  almost  right  away,  won't  it,  Olney? 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  21 

And  we'll  send  the  man  away  with  his  tail  between  his  legs 
just  like  Yarrow  when  the  bull  took  after  him  to-day." 

"Sure,  we'll  have  it  all  paid  up  in  no  time  almost,"  said 
Olney  in  answer  to  her  appeal,  but  his  voice  may  have 
lacked  something  of  the  full  heartiness  of  conviction. 
"Look's  like  we  would  have  to,"  he  went  on ;  "but  if  this 
tenderfoot  thinks  he's  going  to  take  a  hand  in  running  the 
place,  he's  off  his  bearings,  that's  all.  I  ain't  going  to  take 
orders  from  the  like  of  him,  and  the  sooner  he  goes  back 
where  he  came  from  the  better.  I  guess  he'll  have  had 
enough  of  it  by  the  time  he's  been  here  a  week." 


CHAPTER  III 

THE  train  on  which  Alistair  Kilgour  left  Vancouver  a 
few  days  after  the  events  chronicled  in  the  last  chapter 
was  timed  to  arrive  at  Garston  about  seven  in  the  evening 
of  the  same  day,  but  unfortunately,  on  account  of  a  rock- 
slide  near  Agassiz  it  was  made  six  hours  late.  There 
was  a  semi-weekly  stage  that  he  could  catch  next  morning, 
Bancroft  had  assured  him,  and  this  would  take  him  to  the 
Duck  Lake  post  office  within  a  mile  of  the  De  Roche  place. 
The  conductor  had  assured  him  that  there  was  a  fair  hotel 
at  Garston  and  he  would  have  no  trouble  in  getting  com- 
fortable sleeping  quarters  there.  It  was  true,  he  had  added, 
that  the  landlord  was  deaf  and  it  might  be  hard  to  wake 
him  up  at  that  hour  of  the  night — but  that,  in  any  case,  the 
door  was  always  open  and  all  he  had  to  do  was  to  go 
upstairs  and  take  the  first  empty  bedroom  he  came  to.  Not 
many  guests  stayed  there  anyway  and  these  were  only  men 
of  a  free-and-easy  life  so  that  he  could  just  make  himself 
at  home. 

It  had  been  a  warm  ride  but  nevertheless  Alistair  had 
enjoyed  it  to  the  full.  The  wildness  of  the  scenery  in  the 
Fraser  Canyon  and  along  the  Thompson,  the  sense  of  limit- 
less spaces  so  scantily  peopled  and  the  impression  of  a 
Nature  grander  and  more  awe-inspiring  than  he  had  ever 
realised  before  his  trip  across  the  Continent,  all  combined 
to  arouse  emotions  that  were  novel  and  delicious.  Here, 
at  last  he  felt,  he  had  escaped  from  the  trammels  of  an 
agelong  civilisation  and  was  at  the  opening  of  a  new  life 
that  would  be  full  of  untried  experience,  of  fresh  sensations, 
dear  to  the  heart  of  adventurous  youth. 

The  train  pulled  up  at  Garston  with  much  grinding  of 
brakes  and  deep  groans  of  protest  at  the  wasted  time,  nor 

22 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  23 

was  there  a  moment  of  delay  after  Alistair  had  stepped 
down  and  his  trunk  had  been  thrown  out  of  the  baggage 
car  before  it  was  on  its  way  again.  He  was  the  only  pas- 
senger to  alight  and  a  man,  who  was  evidently  the  station- 
agent,  pointed  out  the  hotel  to  him,  a  two-story  building 
that  stood  nearby. 

It  had  a  wide  verandah  extending  all  along  the  front, 
carried  up  to  the  second  story.  Alistair  mounted  the  steps 
and  opened  the  front  door  which  was  closed  but  not  locked. 
The  entrance  hall  was  dark  in  contrast  with  the  bright 
moonlight  outside  and  he  struck  a  match  as  he  stepped 
in,  closing  the  door  after  him.  Its  feeble  ray  revealed  a 
small  counter  on  the  right  on  which  was  a  large  book, 
evidently  the  register,  while  on  the  left  was  the  stairway. 
After  he  had  knocked  as  loudly  as  he  dared  on  the  counter, 
until  it  seemed  that  everybody  in  the  house  must  have  heard 
him,  without  any  apparent  result,  he  concluded  that  the 
best  thing  that  he  could  do  was  to  accept  the  conductor's 
advice  and  take  the  first  room  that  he  should  find  unoccu- 
pied. So,  with  some  slight  trepidation,  he  tiptoed  up  the 
stairs  as  quietly  as  he  could  by  the  light  of  a  second  match, 
the  uncarpeted  treads  creaking  a  loud  complaint  as  he  went. 

"You'll  always  be  able  to  sympathise  with  the  feelings  of 
a  burglar  after  this,  my  boy,"  he  said  to  himself  with  an 
inward  chuckle  as  by  the  light  of  another  match,  he  was 
able  to  make  out  the  outline  of  a  narrow  corridor  with 
doors  on  either  side.  The  first  had  the  number  7  upon  it. 
He  listened  for  a  moment  at  the  keyhole  for  the  sound  of 
breathing  or  a  snore,  but  hearing  nothing,  he  gently  opened 
the  door  and  stepped  inside.  The  sudden  draught  of  air, 
however,  extinguished  his  match  and  there  was  a  moment 
of  suspense  while  he  lit  another  one  and  held  it  high,  so  as 
to  shed  the  light  around  him.  It  was  a  small  room  and  it 
only  took  him  a  moment  to  see  that  the  bed  was  occupied 
so  he  backed  out  precipitately,  closing  the  door  after  him 
with  some  noise  in  his  hurry.  Reassured  by  the  silence  that 
still  reigned,  he  lit  another  match  and  tried  No.  9,  which 
was  the  next  in  order.     Here,  the  bed  was  also  occupied 


24  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

and  evidently  by  a  lighter  sleeper  for  as  soon  as  the  illumi- 
nation fell  upon  him,  there  was  a  rustle  of  bedclothes  and 
a  deep  voice  growled,  "What  the  devil's  the  matter?" 

With  a  muttered  apology,  Alistair  again  escaped.  By 
this  time,  his  desperation  was  lending  him  courage  as  he 
felt  that  he  must  find  some  haven  of  refuge.  He  could  not 
remain  in  the  passageway  all  night ;  and  the  sooner  he  got 
in  somewhere  the  better.  Once  in  bed,  he  would  be  safe 
from  suspicion,  but  as  long  as  he  was  wandering  about 
through  the  house  the  position  would  be  a  decidedly  awk- 
ward one,  should  he  be  challenged  by  any  of  the  inmates. 

However,  he  had  no  sooner  stepped  into  No.  n  and  lit 
a  match  as  before  when  there  came  a  loud  feminine  shriek, 
or  rather  a  succession  of  them.  Alistair  had  put  the  possi- 
bility of  a  female  occupant  of  the  room  out  of  his  head 
on  account  of  what  the  man  at  the  station  had  told  him, 
when  he  had  suggested  it,  so  he  was  considerably  startled 
as  might  be  supposed.  In  his  hasty  flight,  however,  his 
nerve  did  not  desert  him  and  he  was  able  to  sum  up  the 
situation  and  to  decide  the  best  procedure  to  follow.  The 
house  could  not  fail  to  be  roused  after  such  an  outcry  and 
to  return  down  the  stairs  would  almost  surely  lead  to  his 
betrayal.  However  innocent  his  motives  might  be,  it  was 
bound  to  be  an  awkward  matter  to  explain  them  at  that 
time  of  night  and,  perhaps,  under  the  indictment  of  an  angry 
female. 

Quickly  he  tried  the  next  room  and  fortune  favoured  him, 
for  he  found  it  empty.  He  stood  and  listened  with  beating 
heart  inside  while  he  heard  several  doors  open  and  men's 
voices  in  discussion. 

"What  in  tarnation's  the  matter,  Bill  ?"  said  one.  "There 
was  a  galoot  came  into  my  room  and  lit  a  match." 

"Hanged  if  I  know,  Jake ;  sounds  like  some  female  bein' 
murdered,  ain't  it?" 

"Does  kinder  appear  that  way,  Bill.  Why  don't  yer 
rush  in  to  the  rescue,  you  that's  such  a  lady's  man." 

"Nothin'  doin',  old  scout,  not  for  little  Willie,"  was  the 
sardonic  reply;  "I've  got  to  have  fuller  instructions  than 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  25 

that  afore  I  rush  in  on  any  female  in  her  bowd-war  if 
she  is  gettin'  killed.     None  o'  your  jackpots  for  me." 

Then  a  different  voice  broke  in,  a  man's  voice  again  but 
a  timorous  one,  the  tones  piping  and  nervous. 

"Oh,  there  must  have  been  someone  murdered,"  it  cried. 
"Which  room  did  the  screams  come  from?" 

The  answer  came  from  the  screamer  herself  in  a  voice 
that  was  evidently  still  tremulous  and  quavery  with  fright. 

"Oh,  there  was  a  burglar  came  into  my  room,  Mr.  Jenks," 
it  said  breathlessly.  "He  was  just  going  to  take  my  watch 
off  the  dressing  table  when  I  screamed.  You  might  see  if 
you  can  catch  him.  He  ran  out  the  door  whenever  I  cried 
for  help.     I  got  a  terrible  fright." 

Alistair's  feelings  were  a  curious  mingling  of  mirth  and 
perturbation,  as  he  listened  to  the  colloquy  which  was  all 
distinctly  audible,  the  partitions  in  the  building  being  only 
made  of  wood,  and  not  plastered,  so  that  the  sound  easily 
passed  through  them.  If  they  should  come  into  the  room 
after  him,  he  felt  that  he  would  have  an  awkward  time 
making  an  explanation,  especially  in  view  of  the  fact 
that  he  was  an  utter  stranger  in  the  country.  Fortunately 
the  blind  was  up  and,  by  the  moonlight  that  streamed  into 
the  room,  he  was  able  to  make  out  the  furniture.  So  as 
silently  as  possible,  he  pulled  down  the  clothes  and  jumped 
into  the  bed  pulling  them  up  to  his  chin  again.  However, 
in  his  haste  to  get  under  cover,  he  shook  it  so  violently  that 
the  tall  head-board  gave  a  loud  rattle;  and  this,  with  the 
creaking  of  the  springs,  evidently  was  plainly  heard  by  the 
party  in  the  hall. 

"He's  there  in  13,"  said  the  same  piping  man's  voice. 
"I  distinctly  heard  him  just  now." 

"Why  don't  you  go  in  an'  see  then  ?"  said  the  gruff  bass 
of  the  first  one ;  and  the  door  was  flung  open  and  the  party 
burst  into  the  room.  Two  of  them  had  candles  and  to 
Alistair,  peeping  out  from  under  his  half-closed  eyelids, 
they  presented  a  striking  appearance,  the  three  figures 
silhouetted  in  the  candle  light  as  they  stood,  the  two  first 
inside  the  doorway  and  the  third  discreetly  in  the  back- 


26  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

ground.  The  head  of  a  fourth  could  be  distinguished 
peering  over  the  shoulders  of  the  third.  The  two  that  were 
leading  were  clad  merely  in  their  shirts,  the  scanty  tails  of 
which  left  a  goodly  length  of  unprotected  shank  that 
gleamed  weirdly  in  the  flickering  beams  of  the  candles; 
but  a  long  nightrobe  discreetly  veiled  the  figure  in  the  rear. 

The  two  in  front  paused  irresolutely  as  their  blinking 
eyes  took  in  the  fact  that  the  only  occupant  of  the  room  was 
in  bed. 

"Is  anything  the  matter?'  asked  Alistair,  the  words  dying 
away  in  a  yawn.  "The  house  isn't  on  fire,  is  it?"  and 
another  yawn  followed  even  more  sleepladen  than  the  lirst. 

"There  was  a  burglar  in  the  next  room  that  scared  the 
lady  purty  bad  and  we  thought  he  come  in  here,"  stammered 
the  nearest  to  the  bed,  an  old  man  six  feet  tall  with  for- 
midable bristling  whiskers  and  a  Yankee  drawl.  "Ye  hain't 
seen  him,  have  ye  ?" 

"No,  my  friend,"  Alistair  replied  gravely,  appreciating  the 
fun  of  the  situation  in  spite  of  its  seriousness.  "Do  you 
not  think  that  he  might  be  out  on  the  verandah  though.  That 
would  be  the  easiest  way  of  escape,  I  would  think." 

"Danged  if  the  chap  bean't  right,  Jake,"  said  the  other, 
a  stoutly-built  man  over  middle  age.  "We  are  wastin'  time 
here ;"  and  he  strode  quickly  to  the  door  that  opened  out  to 
the  upper  balcony  followed  by  the  others  and  the  whole 
party  were  soon  outside.  They  were  not  long  in  trooping 
back,  however,  when  they  found  that  the  burglar  was 
nowhere  to  be  seen ;  and  closing  the  door  after  them,  they 
departed,  and  Alistair  was  left  in  peace. 

Before  long,  quietness  reigned  again  throughout  the 
building  and  he  was  able  to  get  up  and  light  the  candle  and 
undress ;  and,  thoroughly  tired  out  with  the  long,  hot  journey 
in  the  train,  he  was  soon  asleep. 


CHAPTER  IV 

ALISTAIR  was  awakened  next  morning  about  seven 
o'clock  by  the  bright  sun  that  streamed  in  at  his  win- 
dow, and  with  the  pure,  stimulating  air  of  the  Dry  Belt,  his 
blood  was  stirred  to  an  unwonted  exhilaration.  In  spite 
of  the  shortness  of  his  rest,  he  sprang  from  the  bed  with 
eagerness  to  enter  upon  the  adventures  of  the  day. 

It  was  true  that  he  felt  some  diffidence  about  making  his 
appearance  after  the  incident  of  the  night,  but  he  sallied 
downstairs  with  as  easy  an  air  as  he  could  muster.  To 
his  relief  there  was  no  one  in  the  hall  except  an  old  man 
who  was  brushing  off  the  counter  with  a  feather  duster 
and  he  took  him  for  the  hotelkeeper  himself.  He  was  short 
and  very  broad  with  a  face  that  was  like  that  of  Santa  Claus 
in  the  pictures,  cheeks  and  nose  a  bright  pink,  and  hair  and 
whiskers  of  the  whitest  and  silkiest  possible. 

"Good-morning,"  said  Alistair  to  him  politely  in  as  gra- 
cious a  tone  as  possible ;  "you'll  be  wondering  how  I  got 
here,  I  suppose.  I  came  in  on  the  train  during  the  night ; 
and  as  there  was  no  one  around  I  just  helped  myself  to 
a  room.    I  was  told  that  that  was  the  proper  thing  to  do." 

The  old  man  was  evidently  deaf  for  he  took  a  speaking- 
trumpet  out  of  his  pocket,  put  the  one  end  to  his  ear  and 
solemnly  extended  the  other  to  Alistair,  who  was  somewhat 
disconcerted  to  find  that  all  his  suave  speech  had  been 
wasted. 

"I  came  in  on  the  train  during  the  night,"  he  repeated, 
shouting  loudly  into  the  tube. 

"Eh,  what's  that?"  the  old  man  queried  evidently  puz- 
zled; "you've  come  here  lookin'  for  a  fight?" 

"No,  no,  my  friend,  not  at  all,"  Alistair  laughed. 
"'Through  the  night,  on  the  train,  you  understand.  She  was 
six  hours  late  you  know." 

27 


28  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

"Sitting  up  late?  She  wasn't  sitting  up  at  all,"  the  old 
man  exclaimed  irascibly.  "She  was  in  bed  and  asleep 
too.  Raised  Cain  with  me  this  mornin',  she  did,  for  not 
havin'  no  lock  in  them  doors.  'Taint  my  fault,  is  it?  I 
didn't  build  this  here  hotel,  did  I?  If  the  gent  went  into 
your  room  by  mistake,  ma'am,  ses  I,  didn't  he  go  out  jist 
as  quick  whin  he  found  out  ye  were  there;  an'  what  was 
the  use  of  hollerin'  so  about  it,  wak'nin  up  the  whole  house." 

Alistair  gasped  in  astonishment  to  find  that  the  old  man 
seemed  to  know  all  about  his  nocturnal  misadventure  and 
his  face  must  have  expressed  his  surprise  for  the  latter  went 
on  as  if  in  reply  to  his  mute  query. 

"Oh,  yes,  I  knows  all  how  it  happened ;  an'  I  told  the 
young  woman  so  wen  she  come  down  this  mornin'  purty  nigh 
in  highstrikes  about  it.  'Might  a'  been  murdered,'  she  ses, 
ses  she.  'Not  on  your  life,  ma'am,'  ses  I.  'The  gent  just 
came  in  late  and  helped  himself  to  a  room ;  an'  e's  up  there 
now  nixt  door  to  ye  sleepin'  the  sleep  o'  the  innocent  as 
quiet  as  a  babby.  If  ye've  a  mind  to,  ma'am,  ye  can  go  up 
an'  ave  a  look  at  'im  yerself.'  But  ye'll  be  a-wantin'  your 
breakfast,  no  doubt,"  he  broke  off,  pointing  at  the  door 
to  the  left ;  "an'  ye'll  find  it  in  there." 

"I  want  to  go  up  on  the  stage.  Can  you  tell  me  when  it 
leaves?"  Alistair  shouted  into  his  ear,  relieved  to  find  that 
his  landlord,  at  least,  was  not  likely  to  ascribe  sinister 
motives  to  his  intrusion  into  the  lady's  room. 

"Oh,  ay,  the  stage,"  the  old  man  replied,  when  Alistair 
had  repeated,  "the  stage'll  be  here  in  about  a  half  an  hour 
an'  I'll  tell  Jimmy  ye're  goin'  so  there  won't  be  any  chance 
of  'im  missin'  ye.  You  just  go  in  an'  'ave  yer  breakfast 
for  ye'll  need  it  all  I  guess  before  ye  git  to  where  ye're 
goin'." 

So,  without  further  parley,  Alistair  nothing  loath  entered 
the  dining-room.  It  was  a  plain,  uncarpeted  room  with  half 
a  dozen  tables.  A  girl  was  seated  at  one  of  the  nearest  ones 
and  two  men  in  shirt-sleeves  and  overalls  at  the  one  farthest 
away.  A  Chinaman  was  moving  about  waiting  on  the  guests 
and  when  he  saw  Alistair,  he  hastily  beckoned  him  to  a 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  29 

chair  at  the  same  table  at  which  the  girl  was  sitting  but  at 
the  other  end.  Alistair  would  fain  have  sat  at  any  other, 
but  he  had  not  the  courage  to  refuse  the  chair  offered  him. 
So  he  accepted  it  in  silence  inwardly  cursing  the  man's 
officiousness.  There  were  just  two  tables  that  had  linen 
tablecloths  and  these  were  for  strangers  and  guests  belong- 
ing to  the  upper  ten,  so  to  speak,  of  the  district.  Alistair 
wore  a  white  collar  and  there  was  no  chance  that  Sing  who 
had  the  good  of  the  house  at  heart,  would  allow  him  to 
slip  past  to  the  other  tables  that  could  only  boast  of  a 
covering  of  the  less  luxurious  but  more  permanent  white 
oilcloth  that  could  be  rubbed  spotless  with  a  damp  cloth 
after  each  meal.  To  dine  on  linen  with  the  aristocrats  cost 
fifty  cents  whereas  to  do  so  on  oilcloth,  or  below  the  salt 
with  the  common  folk,  only  thirty-five. 

However,  Alistair  was  as  yet  altogether  oblivious  of  such 
class  distinctions  existing  even  in  this  Wild  West  to  which 
he  had  come ;  and  had  small  appreciation  of  the  social 
advantage  of  his  position.  He  felt  sure  that  here  facing 
him  was  the  complaining  female  whose  rest  he  had  disturbed 
and  the  realization  gave  him  some  embarrassment. 

The  Chinaman  came  to  his  rescue  by  handing  him  a  plate 
of  fruit  and  asking  him  if  he  would  have  porridge.  After 
peeling  half  of  an  apple  and  biting  a  bit  out  of  it,  he 
mustered  up  courage  to  take  a  furtive  glance  at  his  vis-a-vis. 
She  was  young  and  decidedly  pretty,  he  noted,  and  she  did 
not  look  like  a  country  girl,  he  thought,  her  dress  was  too 
stylish  in  its  cut. 

To  his  great  relief,  a  newcomer  entered  the  room  and 
came  and  took  his  place  at  the  table  between  him  and  the 
young  woman.  He  was  a  short,  plump  little  man  with  a 
clean-shaven  chin  and  side-whiskers  streaked  with  grey. 
His  small  eyes,  deep-set  in  his  fat,  pasty-complexioned  face, 
glanced  about  him  with  a  certain  nervous  alertness  that 
impressed  Alistair  curiously. 

"So  you  are  up  early,  Miss  Pelton,"  he  said  smiling  to 
the  girl  as  he  took  his  seat.  "I  should  have  thought  that 
after  your  midnight  alarm,  ha,  ha,  ha,  you  would  have 


30  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

taken  a  longer  spell  in  bed.  Good-morning,  sir/'  he  con- 
cluded with  a  nod  to  Alistair  who  acknowledged  it  civilly. 
The  voice  was  high-pitched  and  piping  and  the  latter  at 
once  recognised  it  for  one  of  those  that  he  had  heard  in  the 
hall  upstairs  a  few  hours  before. 

"I  have  to  catch  the  stage,  you  see,  Mr.  Jenks,  which 
like  time  and  tide  waits  for  no  man.  Monday  morning  I 
have  to  be  at  work  again  and  I  don't  want  to  have  to  walk 
to  Duck  Lake." 

"What  a  happy  lot  of  youngsters  they  must  be,  ha,  ha,  ha, 
to  have  you  as  their  tutelary  goddess,"  and  he  grinned  fatu- 
ously at  her. 

"Oh,  I  get  along  very  well  with  them  I  assure  you,  Mr. 
Jenks,  except  when  I  have  to  punish  them,  and  I  daresay 
they  don't  like  me  over  much  then." 

"I  hope  that  you  don't  feel  any  the  worse  of  your  fright 
of  last  night, — I'm  sure  you  don't  look  it.  It  was  a  pity 
we  weren't  able  to  catch  the  fellow.  He  got  away  with  your 
watch,  didn't  he  ?" 

"Oh,  no,  indeed ;  I  found  it  under  my  pillow  after  all. 
I  thought  that  I  had  left  it  on  the  table  in  front  of  the  bed 
and  when  I  put  out  my  hand  and  found  that  it  was  not 
there,  I  thought,  of  course,  that  the  man  had  stolen  it. 
Old  Humpty  says  that  it  was  a  man  who  came  in  off  the 
train  and  was  looking  for  an  empty  room;  and  he  must 
have  gone  into  my  room  by  mistake.  A  pretty  serious  mis- 
take !"  she  exclaimed  indignantly ;  "but  old  Humpty  seemed 
to  take  it  quite  as  a  matter  of  course.  In  fact,  he  seemed 
quite  annoyed  that  I  had  made  such  a  fuss  about  it.  But, 
of  course,  he  should  have  locks  on  the  rooms — next  time 
I'll  put  the  dresser  up  against  the  door  and  anybody  that 
comes  in  late  will  find  that  he  is  'up  against  it.'  " 

"I  regret  that  I  was  the  unfortunate  cause  of  your  alarm 
last  night,"  Alistair  broke  in,  finding  that  he  could  not  keep 
silence  any  longer,  "and  I  must  apologize  most  humbly. 
I  was  told  by  the  conductor  on  the  train  that  it  was  the 
proper  thing  to  do  if  one  arrived  at  this  hotel  in  the  middle 
of  the  night  just  to  take  possession  of  the  first  empty  room 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  31 

one  could  find  without  troubling  the  landlord.  He  said 
nobody  would  object;  and  if  I  found  a  room  occupied,  just 
to  pass  on  to  the  next.  I  asked  him  what  if  there  were  any 
lady  guests  and  he  said  that  there  never  were  any.  So  you 
see  I  followed  what  I  thought  was  the  custom  of  the  house. 
I  am  very  sorry,  I  am  sure,  but  if  it  is  any  consolation  to 
you  I  think  that  I  was  just  about  as  frightened  as  you  were." 

"Oh,  don't  apologise,"  the  girl  answered  laughing  but  with 
some  embarrassment,  a  warm  blush  suffusing  her  cheeks. 
"I  guess  that  I  was  silly  to  make  such  a  fuss  about  it;  but 
you  see  I'm  from  Vancouver  and  I've  only  been  up  here 
about  four  months.     I  haven't  got  used  to  the  ways  yet." 

"He,  he,  he,"  laughed  the  man  whom  she  had  called  Mr. 
Jenks  turning  to  Alistair,  "these  city  school-ma'ams!  I 
know  them.  They  come,  they  see,  they  conquer  like  Caesar. 
I  just  give  Miss  Pelton  a  year  before  she  marries  some 
young  rancher  and  settles  down  in  this  country.  He,  he,  he, 
one  after  the  other,  the  procession  of  the  school-ma'ams, 
I  call  it.    Are  you  going  up  on  the  stage,  too  ?" 

"Yes,"  replied  Alistair  somewhat  distantly.  This  chap 
has  gone  far  enough,  he  told  himself.  Let  him  mind  his 
own  business. 

"Perhaps  you  are  going  to  Duck  Lake  where  Miss  Pelton 
is  bound  for?"  Jenks  persisted.  "It'd  be  rather  nice  to  have 
company,  wouldn't  it,  he,  he,  he?" 

"No,  I'm  going  to  the  De  Roche  ranch,"  Alistair  returned 
emphatically,  spurning  the  suggestion  with  some  annoyance. 

"He  he,  he,  that's  just  by  Duck  Lake,"  chortled  the 
tormentor  gleefully. 

"I  think  it  must  be  time  for  the  stage  to  leave,"  said  Miss 
Pelton  rising  abruptly. 


CHAPTER  V 

WHEN  Alistair  had  paid  his  bill  and,  carrying  his 
portmanteaus,  had  passed  outside  to  where  the  stage 
was  waiting,  his  preconceived  notions  of  what  that  was 
likely  to  be  received  a  rude  shock.  It  was  only  a  spring 
wagon  with  one  wide  seat  and  two  ordinary-looking  nags ; 
while  the  stage  driver  instead  of  the  bearded  and  bewhis- 
kered  type  described  so  picturesquely  in  the  novels  of  Bret 
Harte  was  only  just  a  stripling  of  a  lad  with  the  down  on 
his  cheek,  and  clad  in  a  pair  of  faded  blue  overalls  and  a 
yellow  shirt.  He  was  busy  now  finding  a  place  for  Miss 
Pelton's  suitcase  amongst  the  miscellaneous  assortment  of 
articles  in  the  wagon,  which  besides  the  mailbags  included 
a  heating  stove  and  a  large  parrot  cage.  Miss  Pelton,  who 
was  already  perched  on  the  middle  of  the  seat,  was  chaffing 
him  in  a  sprightly  way,  and  the  lad  seemed  to  be  holding 
his  own  with  her,  while  at  the  same  time  disposing  his 
load  to  the  best  advantage  with  deft  hands  that  never 
seemed  to  make  a  false  move.  He  nodded  to  Alistair  and 
took  his  bags  from  him,  placing  them  safely  in  the  wagon, 
as  the  latter  climbed  up  to  the  vacant  seat  beside  Miss 
Pelton.  In  another  minute  they  were  off  at  a  slow  lumber- 
ing trot.  The  team  slowed  up,  however,  as  they  crossed  the 
railroad  track ;  and  the  road  began  to  climb  around  the  edge 
of  a  big  bluff  and  along  the  canyon  by  the  side  of  the  clear 
mountain  stream  that  at  times  bordered  close  upon  the 
driveway,  and  at  times  gurgled  along  in  a  deep  ravine  from 
fifty  to  a  hundred  feet  below.  The  rippling  waters  sparkled 
brightly  where  the  morning  sun  in  places  pierced  through 
the  canopy  made  by  the  bullpines  and  the  cottonwcod  trees ; 
and  the  horses,  walking  briskly,  snorted  in  apparent  appre- 
ciation of  the  fresh  breeze  that  was  aromatic  of  the  scents  of 

32 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  33 

summer.  The  clinking  of  the  tracechains  formed  an  accom- 
paniment to  the  singing  of  the  birds  overhead. 

The  road  kept  on  climbing,  ever  twisting  and  turning,  as 
the  slope  was  far  too  steep  to  permit  of  a  direct  ascent. 
The  grade  had  been  cut  out  in  many  places  having  a  bank 
towering  high  on  the  one  side  and  a  precipitous  declivity 
on  the  other  with  nothing  at  all  in  the  way  of  a  fence  for 
a  protection  to  the  driver.  Alistair  wondered  how  anyone 
who  was  not  acquainted  with  the  road  could  possibly  negotiate 
these  turns  and  twists  with  safety  in  the  dark.  His  sense 
of  the  picturesque  was  charmed  by  the  changing  vistas  of 
green  fields  traversed  by  curious  snake- fences  and  dotted 
here  and  there  with  the  rude  log  house  and  barn  of  the 
hardy  homesteader.  On  each  gatepost  was  the  invariable 
box  for  the  mail  at  which  Jimmy,  the  driver,  would  pull  up 
his  team  and  deposit  a  little  sack  with  letters  or  any  package 
that  he  might  have  brought  from  the  store,  for  the  stage 
laid  itself  out  to  carry  everything  for  a  fee.  The  loneliness 
and  ugliness  of  these  little  farms  was  only  redeemed  by  the 
romantic  scenery  amid  which  they  lay,  so  different  from  that 
of  the  settlers'  shanties  on  the  flat  and  uninspiring  wastes  of 
the  prairies  that  Alistair  had  marked  from  the  car  windows 
on  his  trip  across. 

Alistair s  attention  was  called  away  from  his  enjoyment 
of  the  scenery  by  the  sound  of  a  familiar  name  in  the  con- 
versation between  Jimmy  and  the  school  ma'am,  to  which 
up  to  this  time  he  had  paid  scant  attention.  It  was  the 
former  who  was  speaking. 

"Yes,"  he  was  saying;  "Mr.  De  Roche  had  another  shock 
and  the  Doctor  says  he's  pretty  bad.  He  can't  speak  a 
word  either.  Poor  Miss  Loriaine  is  terrible  cut  up  and  Ted 
he  went  down  to  White's  and  got  on  a  terrible  drunk  over  it. 
Too  bad  that  kid  can't  behave  himself.  Just  when  he's 
needed,  has  to  go  an'  play  the  fool.    'Taint  right,  is  it  ?" 

"No,  it  isn't  right,  Jimmy,"  Miss  Pelton  replied.  "Ted 
has  been  badly  spoiled,  I'm  afraid;  and  I  don't  think  that 
Olney  Layburn  has  done  him  any  good  either.     By  all  I 


34  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

hear,  Olney  encourages  him  in  his  drinking  habits  though 
he  wouldn't  like  Lorraine  to  know  it." 

"No,  I  guess  not,"  Jimmy  replied  with  some  emphasis 
as  he  flicked  at  the  off  horse  with  his  whip.  "Olney  is 
mighty  sweet  on  Lorraine  and  he  knows  how  much  she 
thinks  of  Ted.  If  she  thought  that  he  was  leadin'  Ted 
wrong  it'd  be  the  mitten  for  him  or  I'm  a  nigger." 

There  the  conversation  was  broken  off  by  their  arrival 
at  a  little  house  by  the  side  of  the  road  where  an  old  man 
stood  waiting  to  get  his  mail  and  some  groceries  that  had 
come  out  to  him  with  Jimmy.  It  took  a  minute  or  two  until 
he  was  attended  to,  and  when  the  stage  drove  on  the  con- 
versation took  another  channel,  rather  to  Alistair's  disap- 
pointment as  he  was  interested  in  any  details  that  he  might 
learn  of  the  De  Roche  household. 

They  bad  been  trotting  along  past  green  meadows 
between  the  low  pine-covered  hills  that  rose  on  either  hand 
but  now  the  road  all  at  once  came  out  on  the  margin  of  a 
lake,  the  blue  waters  of  which  sparkled  gaily  in  the  sun- 
shine. Ducks  and  other  waterfowl  could  be  seen  swimming 
on  its  surface,  or  flying  with  rapid  wing  from  place  to  place, 
and  an  occasional  muskrat  swimming  out  in  a  half  circle 
from  the  bank  below. 

"I  suppose  that  you'll  be  the  head  of  the  family,  Jimmy," 
Miss  Pelton  remarked  sympathetically,  to  the  driver,  "since 
your  father  was  killed.  Anyway,  it's  fine  for  you  to  think 
what  a  comfort  you  are  to  your  mother  now.  What  could 
she  do  without  you? 

"Jim's  father  was  killed  in  a  runaway  with  the  stage  just 
about  three  months  ago  and  he  has  been  driving  it  himself 
ever  since,"  she  remarked  aside  to  Alistair.  "He  has  two 
little  brothers  and  a  sister  and  he  is  the  breadwinner  for 
them  all  and  he  just  turned  seventeen.  They  make  up 
exactly  one-fifth  of  my  pupils  and  they  are  about  the  smart- 
est I  have  too." 

The  conversation  was  interrupted  as  they  rounded  a  lofty 
bluff  along  the  lakeside  by  the  sudden  appearance  of  a  drove 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  35 

of  pigs  driven  by  a  man  on  horseback  and  a  couple  of  bare- 
footed boys ;  and  as  the  road  was  very  narrow  and  there 
was  no  protecting  fence  along  the  precipitous  edge,  it  was 
necessary  to  pull  the  team  in  as  close  to  the  bank  as  possible 
while  the  porkers  with  many  a  suspicious  grunt  galloped 
past  the  wagon  almost  in  single  file,  so  narrow  was  the 
space  available. 

"Nice  looking  lot  of  hogs,  Monte,"  Jimmy  called  out  to 
the  man  on  horseback  as  he  passed  with  the  air  of  a  con- 
noisseur.   "Should  average  a  couple  of  hundred  apiece,  eh?" 

"About  that,  I  guess,  Jimmy,"  the  man  replied  with  a 
smile.  "I'll  trade  you  jobs  if  you  like.  Drivin'  hawgs  ain't 
just  much  in  my  line,  it  ain't." 

"No,  thank  you,"  Jimmy  called  after  him.  "I  ain't  stuck 
on  the  job  either.  I  guess  that  Monte  just  naturally  hates 
hogs.  He's  a  cowpuncher  an'  nuthin'  else  an'  it  just  makes 
him  mad  to  have  to  attend  to  the  grunters.  'Cows  or 
nuthing  for  him,'  he  says.  He  came  up  here  from  Montana 
where  they  do  have  cowpunchers — the  real  thing,  with  six- 
shooters — that  ride  into  town  every  payday  an'  shoot  up 
the  sheriff,  you  know,  just  like  in  that  picture  in  White's 
store.  That's  the  life,  you  bet.  If  I  were  foot-loose  I'd 
go  down  to  Texas  or  Arizona  myself  where  there's  some 
real  fun  goin'  on,  I  would." 

"For  shame,  Jimmy,"  said  Miss  Pelton  smiling.  "One 
would  think  to  hear  you  talk  that  you  wanted  to  be  a  regular 
'Texas  bad  man.' " 

"I  gather  then  that  this  is  a  reasonably  law-abiding  com- 
munity," said  Alistair  in  his  most  deliberate  manner; 
"which  I  am  quite  relieved  to  hear,  you  know.  For  a  peace- 
ful sort  of  party  like  myself,  it  would  be  very  unpleasant 
to  have  persons  of  that  kind  around." 

Jimmy  stifled  the  guffaw  that  rose  to  his  lips  to  a  sort 
of  half-audible  snort  and  did  not  deign  to  make  any  reply. 
A  moment  or  so  later,  they  had  mounted  the  crest  of  a 
long  hill  and  the  road  turned  down  again  to  a  fair-sized 
two-story  wooden  building  with  two  doors  which  looked  out 
on  the  lake.    Above  one  doorway  was  the  inscription,  "Store 


36  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

and  Post  Office,"  and  above  the  other  the  word  "Hotel." 
A  wooden  platform,  with  steps  three  or  four  feet  high  lead- 
ing to  the  ground,  extended  along  the  wide  front,  and  on 
this  three  or  four  men  were  lounging  among  the  fruit 
boxes,  grain  sacks  and  other  articles  that  lay  here  and 
there. 

The  group  upon  the  platform  nodded  to  the  stage-driver 
and  touched  their  hats  to  Miss  Pelton ;  and  Alistair  was 
aware  of  their  curious  scrutiny  directed  towards  himself. 
He  was  the  last  to  climb  out  of  the  wagon  and  followed 
Jimmy  into  the  store  to  settle  with  him  for  his  fare.  He 
arranged  with  him  to  bring  his  baggage  along  later  to  the 
De  Roche  ranch  which  the  latter  assured  him  was  but  a 
short  mile  farther  on.  The  house  being  close  to  the  road 
and  the  lake  front,  he  could  not  miss  it.  Then,  pleased  to 
escape  from  the  curious  eyes  of  the  loungers  in  the  store 
he  slipped  outside  and  strode  off  down  the  road  glad  to 
stretch  his  legs  after  sitting  still  so  long  in  the  stage. 

About  ten  minutes'  smart  walking  brought  him  to  a  neat 
gate,  painted  white,  from  which  a  short  avenue  of  cotton- 
woods  led  up  to  a  house  of  some  pretensions.  It  was  of 
two  stories  with  a  wide  verandah  all  round  approached  from 
the  front  by  a  flight  of  steps.  Luxuriant  creepers  climbed 
up  and  encircled  the  wide  verandah  posts  and  the  front 
door  stood  invitingly  open. 

Alistair  walked  up  the  avenue  and  mounted  the  steps, 
looking  around  him  with  interest  and  knocked  at  the  open 
door.  No  one,  however,  came  to  answer,  and  he  was  about 
to  knock  again  when  his  eye  was  taken  by  a  figure  on 
horseback  that  had  stopped  and  dismounted  at  the  gate 
through  which  he  had  just  entered.  It  led  the  horse  through 
and  began  to  walk  up  the  avenue  towards  him  and  as  it 
came  nearer  he  saw  that  it  was  a  young  girl  in  khaki  riding 
habit,  cut  with  the  divided  skirt  so  as  to  permit  of  riding 
astride.  The  horse  was  a  fine  animal,  coal  black  and  about 
fifteen  hands  high;  and  as  it  followed  her,  with  the  reins 
looped  over  the  horn  of  the  saddle  so  as  to  hold  fairly  tight 
on  the  formidable  looking  curb  bit  in  its  mouth  and  make 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  37 

it  arch  its  neck  in  a  shapely  bow,  it  cocked  the  eye  nearest 
her  in  the  knowing  way  of  a  horse  that  is  fond  of  a  little 
fun  as  much  as  to  say,  "You  think  that  I'm  going  to  do  all 
you  say,  but  just  you  wait  a  bit." 

His  mistress  was  evidently  aware  that  it  required  watch- 
ing; for  in  spite  of  her  assured  and  jaunty  step,  from  time 
to  time,  she  turned  to  coax  it  on  and  adjust  her  pace  in 
order  not  to  let  it  increase  the  distance  too  much  between 
them,  pausing  occasionally  to  encourage  it  with  a  gentle 
tap  across  the  shoulders  from  her  riding-switch.  As  they 
came  to  the  place  in  the  drive  where  a  road  branched  off 
to  one  side  leading  to  the  barn,  it  made  a  quick  turn  along 
this  and  had  not  its  mistress  been  watching  closely,  it  would 
have  got  away  before  she  could  stop  it.  With  a  quick  bound, 
however,  she  managed  to  head  it  off  and  snatch  the  bridle. 

"Shame  on  you,  Pronto !"  she  exclaimed,  "shame  on  you, 
sir,  for  a  wicked,  wicked  horse.  After  all  the  pains  I  have 
taken  with  you  to  think  that  I  have  to  watch  you  just  as 
closely  as  if  you  were  a  shaggy-coated,  half-tamed,  unman- 
nerly little  bronco  instead  of — instead  of,"  and  she  tapped 
the  animal  lightly  across  the  nose  at  each  pause  for  empha- 
sis, "instead  of  a  blue-blooded,  five-gaited  High  School 
Saddle  Horse  all  the  way  from  'Ole  Kentucky,'  sir.  Aren't 
you  'shamed  of  yourself  ?  Oh,  it's  all  very  well  to  bow  and 
scrape,  sir,"  she  went  on  as  the  horse  began  pawing  the 
ground  vigorously;  "but  if  you  want  to  keep  up  your  coun- 
try's reputation  for  gallantry,  you'll  better  not  try  to  run 
away  from  your  mistress  in  that  fashion  again.  Shake 
with  me  now  and  say  you're  sorry  and  won't  let  it  happen 
again  ever;"  and  she  held  out  her  hand.  The  horse  with 
his  nose  tucked  in  and  his  one  eye  thrust  forth,  roguishly 
regarded  her  for  a  moment  or  two,  his  two  ears  cocking 
back  and  forward  curiously  betraying  his  indecision.  Then 
all  at  once,  he  swung  round  his  quarters  slightly  and  lifted 
up  the  right  hoof  very  high  toward  his  mistress.  Then  as 
she  leant  towards  him  to  take  hold  of  it,  he  reached  out  with 
the  velvet  muzzle  and  playfully  pretended  to  nip  her  slender 
shoulder  with  its  thin  khaki  covering. 


38  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

"Ah,  you  old  humbug,"  she  said  to  him  affectionately, 
dropping  his  fetlock  and  pressing  a  kiss  on  the  velvet  nose; 
"you  think  you  know  how  to  get  around  me,  don't  you,  with 
your  little  ways,  but  some  day,  sir — some  day — if  you  don't 
reform  you  are  liable  to  get  a  licking." 

Alistair  who  had  stepped  forward  on  first  sighting  her 
to  await  her  approach,  had  stood  watching  the  little  tableau, 
charmed  with  the  pleasing  vision  of  the  slender,  graceful 
figure  of  the  girl,  who  could  not  have  been  over  twenty, 
and  the  handsome  animal,  so  high-mettled  and  yet  so  gentle. 
He  made  such  a  contrast  in  his  glossy  coal-black  coat  with 
the  girl's  Titian  red  hair  under  the  broad-brimmed  felt  hat 
and  her  clear  waxlike  skin  with  its  faint  suggestion  of  lurk- 
ing freckles.  It  was  pretty  to  watch  the  play  of  expression 
that  flitted  over  her  delicately-chiselled  features,  passing 
from  mock  severity  to  one  of  tenderness  that  bore  testi- 
mony to  the  good  understanding  between  the  two.  Partly 
screened  as  he  was  by  the  climbers  on  the  porch  and 
absorbed  in  her  attention  to  her  mount,  she  had  not  noticed 
Alistair  until  all  at  once,  she  glanced  up  to  meet  his  eyes 
looking  down  upon  her. 

Her  confusion  was  as  instantaneous  as  it  was  complete, 
and  she  flushed  right  up  to  the  tips  of  her  small  ears  with 
resentment  as  she  encountered  Alistair's  dark  eyes  looking 
down  on  her,  the  appreciative  glance  of  which  she  misread 
for  one  of  derision  and  amusement.  He,  himself,  when  he 
saw  the  girl's  start  of  surprise  and  the  hot  wave  that  spread 
over  her  face,  at  once  tried  to  cover  the  awkwardness  of 
the  situation  by  making  known  his  business  without  delay. 

"I  have  a  letter  of  introduction  here  for  Mr.  De  Roche 
of  Inshallah.  Perhaps  you  can  tell  me  if  I  have  come  to 
the  right  place,"  and  he  came  down  the  steps  to  stand 
beside  her. 

She  looked  at  him  questioningly  for  a  moment,  her  eye 
taking  in  the  details  of  his  appearance,  the  clean-cut  face, 
the  trim  and  athletic  figure  in  its  neat  tweed  coat  and  smart 
riding  breeches  with  leggings  showing  a  brilliancy  of  polish 
not  usual  in  these  Western  regions;  and  as  the  realisation 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  39 

came  to  her  that  this  must  be  the  visitor  whose  advent  the 
Vancouver  agents  had  written  about,  the  rich  tide  in  her 
cheeks  ebbed  as  quickly  as  it  had  risen,  leaving  them  paler 
than  it  had  found  them. 

"Yes,  this  is  where  Mr.  De  Roche  stays,"  she  said  at 
last  and  her  voice  betrayed  a  slight  tremor,  "but  he  is  ill. 
Perhaps  you  would  give  me  the  letter?  I  am  Miss  De 
Roche." 

He  handed  it  to  her  and  after  taking  it  she  pulled  the 
reins  over  her  horse's  head  and  tied  him  to  a  ring  that 
stuck  out  from  the  planking  of  the  verandah.  Then  with 
an  inclination  of  the  head  she  invited  Alistair  to  follow 
her  as  she  mounted  the  steps  and  opened  the  screen-door 
ushering  him  through  a  wide  hall  to  the  room  at  the  right. 


CHAPTER  VI 

ALISTAIR  took  the  chair  to  which  Miss  De  Roche 
motioned  him  with  a  sinking  sensation  inside  of  him. 
She  herself  did  not  sit,  but  moving  over  towards  the  win- 
dow, opened  the  letter  and  read  it  slowly,  her  brows  con- 
tracting slightly  and  her  lips  tightly  pressed  together.  Then 
she  came  back  again  and  stood  before  him. 

"It  is  most  unfortunate,"  she  began,  and  while  her  voice 
had  a  faint  tremor,  its  accents  were  cold  and  contemptuous, 
"that  my  father  should  have  been  taken  so  much  worse  that 
it  will  be  impossible  for  us  to — entertain  you — as  Mr.  Ban- 
croft requests  in  this  letter.  It  appears  that  that  is  the 
suggestion,  is  it  not? — that  you  should  come  and  stay  here 
with  us." 

"I  believe  that  is  the  proposition,"  Alistair  replied  stiffen- 
ing under  the  stimulus  of  her  hostility.  "I  regret  very  much, 
I  assure  you,  the  necessity;  but  the  condition  of  the  mort- 
gage has  become  so  serious  and  my  family  has  so  much  at 
stake  in  the  matter  that  I  think  the  request  is  a  reasonable 
one.  Of  course,  I  am  prepared  to  pay  whatever  is  proper 
in  the  way  of  charges  for  my  lodging  and  would  make 
myself  as  little  of  a  nuisance  as  possible." 

'T  dare  say,"  and  she  laughed  scornfully;  "and  yet  you 
want  to  take  a  hand  in  running  the  ranch — to  tell  us  when 
we  do  wrong,  I  suppose.  Might  I  ask  what  qualifications 
you  may  have,  sir,  to  presume  to  interfere,  what  experience 
you  have  had  of  the  cattle  business?"  and  she  looked  him 
up  and  down  eyeing  disdainfully  his  trim  get-up  in  his 
English  riding  clothes. 

"That  is  quite  beside  the  question,  Miss  De  Roche,"  said 
Alistair,  admiring  the  girl's  spirit  and  astuteness  in  spite  of 
his  rising  choler.     "The  point  is  that  if  the  ranch  is  being 

40 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  41 

properly  run  it  ought  to  be  paying  at  least  the  interest  on 
the  mortgage,  which  it  is  not.  What  I  wish  to  feel  sure  of, 
to  speak  plainly,  is  that  my  father  and  myself  are  getting 
fair  play  in  the  matter  and  that  the  revenue  of  the  place 
is  not  being  diverted  into  other  channels." 

She  bit  her  lip  with  vexation  and  paused  for  a  moment, 
evidently  at  a  loss  for  an  answer.  Then  with  feminine 
ingenuity  she  chose  another  tack. 

"Well,  of  course,  had  my  father  not  been  taken  worse, 
we  might  have  managed  to  put  up  with  it,"  she  said ;  "but 
now  the  thing  is  impossible  as  my  aunt  and  myself  have  all 
we  can  do  to  nurse  him,  without  having  a  stranger  in  the 
house." 

As  Alistair  was  hesitating  how  to  reply  to  this,  he  was 
grateful  for  the  diversion  caused  by  the  entrance  of  an 
elderly  lady,  with  grey  hair  and  features  with  so  marked 
a  resemblance  to  the  younger  woman  that  it  was  plain  that 
there  was  a  close  relationship. 

"This  is  my  aunt,  Miss  Paget,"  said  the  girl.     "Mr. 

I  forget  what  you  said  your  name  was."  Then  without 
waiting  for  a  reply.  "This  is  the  gentleman,  you  know, 
that  Mr.  Bancroft  wrote  about  whose  father  has  the  mort- 
gage on  the  ranch." 

"Oh,  indeed,"  Miss  Paget  replied  with  a  peculiar  intona- 
tion, the  expression  on  her  face  changing  from  uncertainty 
to  one  that  was  slightly  hostile;  and  she  bowed  distantly 
and  looked  from  Alistair  back  to  the  girl  as  if  seeking  a  lead 
for  what  she  was  to  say.  Nor  did  Miss  De  Roche  fail  to 
answer  her  appeal. 

"I  have  been  telling  him  that  on  account  of  father's  ill- 
ness it  will,  of  course,  now  be  impossible  for  us  to  have  him 
here  as  Mr.  Bancroft  proposed.  I  am  sure  had  Mr.  Kilgour 
known  he  would  never  have  come  to  vex  us  at  such  a  time," 
and  there  was  a  tremor  in  her  voice  and  a  suggestion  of 
mistiness  in  her  eyes  that  made  Alistair  feel  somewhat 
uncomfortable. 

"Oh,  but  I  shall  not  give  you  any  trouble.  I  can  eat  with 
the  men  if  you  like,"  he  said  ingratiatingly,  smiling  on  the 


42  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

elder  woman  who  was  looking  at  him  with  eyes  of  uneasi- 
ness. "I  have  been  accustomed  to  roughing  it  and  can  put 
up  with  anything." 

"My  niece  is  quite  right,"  said  Miss  Paget  decisively. 
"It  would  be  impossible.  Our  time  is  taken  up  with  nursing 
my  brother-in-law — he  is  asleep  now  and  I  just  took  the 
opportunity  to  slip  downstairs  for  a  moment.  We  cannot 
afford  to  have  a  nurse,  so  we  take  turns  at  attending  upon 
him  and  the  strain  is  very  great.  At  such  a  time  to  have  a 
stranger  in  the  house  would  be  really  too  trying." 

"It  is  not  as  if  there  was  any  need  for  you  to  be  here," 
the  girl  took  up  the  argument.  "I  am  sure  that  we  are  as 
anxious  to  pay  you  what  is  due  as  you  are  to  get  it;  and  it 
is  only  a  question  of  a  little  time  now  until  we  can  get  the 
cattle  fattened  and  pay  up  the  interest  at  least.  Mr.  Ban- 
croft knows,  I  am  sure,  that  my  father  was  always  one  to 
pay  his  debts  and  he  must  have  been  aware  that  such  a 
thing  as  you  propose  would  be  most  distasteful — most  pain- 
ful to  us,"  and  there  was  a  catch  in  her  voice  that  made 
Alistair  fear  that  the  tears  were  not  very  far  away. 

He  was  about  to  reply  and  declare  that  he  was  ready  to 
give  up  the  project  when  heavy  steps  were  heard  on  the 
verandah  outside  and  in  the  hall.  In  a  few  moments, 
two  men  entered  the  room,  Olney  Layburn  and  Ted  De 
Roche,  the  son  of  the  house.  Both  had  just  been  out  on 
the  range  and  they  still  wore  their  spurs,  which  tinkled  as 
they  walked.  They  halted  in  surprise  when  they  saw  the 
visitor,  who  had  risen  to  his  feet. 

"This  is  Mr.  Kilgour  that  Mr.  Bancroft  wrote  about, 
Mr.  Layburn,  my  cousin  and  my  brother,"  said  Miss  De 
Roche  by  the  way  of  introduction. 

Layburn  scowled  and  growled  out  an  ungracious, 
"Pleased  to  meet  you,"  looking  anything  but  pleased.  He 
passed  over  to  take  a  chair  by  the  window,  while  Ted  De 
Roche,  without  any  acknowledgment  of  the  stranger,  took 
up  a  position  at  the  side  of  the  fireplace,  leaning  his  arm 
on  the  broad  mantel-shelf.  The  former  appeared  con- 
strained and  uncomfortable  and  sat  bolt  upright  facing  the 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  43 

visitor  with  a  curious  tense  expression,  his  rigid  attitude 
emphasising  the  rugged  strength  of  his  figure,  the  ample 
lines  of  which  were  plainly  indicated  under  the  light  shirt 
which  he  wore.  His  jacket  he  had  carried  in  his  hand  and 
he  now  held  it  across  his  knee. 

He  had  been  taken  somewhat  by  surprise  and  it  was  not 
his  wont  to  be  surly.  Had  he  had  time  to  consider  he 
would  have  greeted  this  young  Britisher  with  more  suavity 
and  the  result  of  the  meeting  might  have  been  different. 
The  contrast  between  the  two  men  was  very  striking  as 
they  sat  opposite  each  other.  Alistair,  who  had  sat  down 
again,  leaning  back  easily  in  his  big  armchair,  with  clean-cut 
features,  and  figure  slender  and  willowy  still  bearing  some- 
thing of  the  delicacy  of  youth ;  and  Layburn,  older  and  bigger 
of  frame,  masterful  and  aggressive,  typically  western. 

There  was  a  pause  which  to  all  in  the  room  was  electric. 
Alistair  was  grateful  for  the  interruption  and  the  new 
elements  that  had  entered  into  the  situation.  Now  that  this 
brawny  cowboy  sat  opposite  him,  his  intrusion  did  not  seem 
the  monstrous  thing  that  it  had  a  moment  or  two  before,  in 
the  face  of  the  girl's  pleading. 

"He  wants  to  come  and  stay  with  us  here,  and  help  us 
to  run  the  ranch  till  we  pay  up  what  is  owing,"  she  said 
with  a  note  of  appeal. 

"Oh,  he  does,  does  he.  Well,  he  can't,  that's  all,"  he 
sneered.  "What  do  you  know  about  a  cattle  ranch,  I 
wonder?"  he  questioned  looking  at  Alistair.  "Bancroft 
has  an  impudence  to  suggest  such  a  thing  but  he  can't  run 
a  bluff  like  that  on  me.  I  suppose  he  thinks  because  we're 
up  here  away  from  the  lawyers  that  we  don't  know  any- 
thing. Well,  he  needn't  think  that  I'm  a  greenhorn  to  be 
taken  in  with  the  like  of  that." 

"You  needn't  blame  Bancroft,  at  all,"  said  Alistair.  "I'm 
quite  prepared  to  take  all  responsibility  for  the  proposal  on 
my  own  shoulders.  If  Miss  De  Roche  consents,  I  have  no 
intention  of  making  a  nuisance  of  myself,  and  as  to  helping 
to  run  the  ranch,  I  confess  I  know  nothing  about  it 
although  I  suppose  I  could  learn." 


44  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

"Well,  anyhow,  you  won't  have  the  chance — at  least,  not 
while  I'm  running  it,  you  won't,"  Layburn  burst  in  angrily 
nodding  his  head  vehemently  as  he  spoke.  "I  hold  Mr. 
De  Roche's  power  of  attorney  and  I  guess  I'm  in  charge 
here ;  and  I  wouldn't  stand  for  what  you  want,  not  for  one 
minute.  I  guess  Miss  De  Roche  and  Ted  here  will  back  me 
up  in  it,"  and  he  turned  towards  the  two  as  he  spoke. 

"Sure  we  will,"  the  youth  replied  emphatically;  and 
though  the  girl  did  not  reply,  her  expression  and  attitude 
showed  her  approval.  The  elder  lady  was  plucking  ner- 
vously at  the  tassels  of  a  cushion  on  the  lounge  on  which 
she  sat  and  kept  her  eyes  on  the  carpet. 

Alistair  glanced  from  one  to  the  other  and  paused  a 
space  before  he  replied.  Now  that  the  male  element  had 
entered  in  he  was  feeling  a  certain  joy  of  the  combat  and 
his  customary  skill  of  debate  did  not  desert  him.  It  was 
a  difficult  situation  to  handle. 

"You  know,"  he  said,  "you  people  are  mistaking  the  posi- 
tion entirely,  as  I  see  it.  You  are  treating  me  as  a  spy  and 
an  enemy  when  you  ought  to  be  welcoming  me.  Here  have 
I  come  out  these  six  thousand  miles  just  to  avoid  the  neces- 
sity of  Bancroft  and  Atherton  taking  the  proceedings  that 
your  default  in  the  payment  of  the  mortgage  renders  advis- 
able. The  easiest  course  for  me  to  have  followed  was  to 
have  told  them  to  go  ahead  and  to  have  stayed  quietly  at 
home.  On  the  contrary,  however,  I  lay  aside  my  profession 
for  the  time  and  come  out  here  to  try  to  get  this  matter 
properly  adjusted.  I  do  not  wish  to  cause  you  any  hard- 
ship; but  at  the  same  time,  my  people  need  this  money  to 
liquidate  a  debt  that  they  owe.  Expediency  would  urge  me 
to  realise  on  any  security  now,  or  as  soon  as  the  law  will 
allow  me ;  but  if  you  are  willing  to  be  reasonable  and  con- 
sent to  the  arrangement  that  I  have  proposed — and  a  very 
moderate  one  I  consider  it — I  am  willing  to  give  you  longer 
time  yet." 

Layburn  rose  to  his  feet. 

"You'll  better  get  out  of  here,"  he  said  rudely.  "We're 
not  going  to  put  up  with  this  kind  of  talk  any  longer. 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  45 

Mortgage  sharks  don't  find  it  very  healthy  for  themselves 
out  here  in  the  West,  I'm  going  to  tell  you;  and  if  you're 
a  wise  man  you'll  go  back  where  you  came  from." 

He  stood  glowering  down  upon  his  visitor  as  if  he  would 
have  liked  then  and  there  to  lay  violent  hands  on  him. 

Alistair  had  coolly  drawn  his  notebook  from  his  pocket 
and  was  turning  its  leaves  apparently  oblivious  to  the 
threatening  attitude  of  Layburn.  Evidently  finding  what 
he  wanted,  he  looked  up  at  last  with  apparent  composure 
at  the  latter.  Miss  Paget  had  slipped  noiselessly  from  the 
room  too  distressed  by  the  discussion  to  remain  and  the 
girl  sat  with  lips  parted  and  face  pale,  her  eyes  riveted  as 
in  a  kind  of  fascination  on  the  two  men.  Her  brother  also 
had  straightened  himself  from  the  mantel  and  was  watch- 
ing the  pair  with  a  nervous  grin. 

"The  chattel  mortgage  which  I  hold  on  Mr.  De  Roche's 
stock,"  Alistair  said  in  the  same  even,  deliberate  tones, 
"fell  due  on  the  thirty-first  of  March.  It  is  now  the  seven- 
teenth of  May  and  neither  principal  nor  interest  has  been 
paid.  The  mortgage,  I  understand,  covered  all  the  live  stock 
on  the  place,  horses  and  cattle,  so  many  of  each ;  and  at 
present  market  prices  there  is  no  doubt  that  it  will  realise 
much  more  than  the  amount  of  the  loan.  As  you  appear 
to  be  absolutely  unwilling  to  fall  in  with  my  suggestion, 
I  shall  at  once  distrain  under  its  provisions  and  have  the 
stock  sold  by  the  sheriff.  I  shall  also  begin  foreclosure 
proceedings  on  the  ranch  itself,  and,  I  suppose,  within  nine 
months  or  a  year  should  be  able  to  realise  on  my  investment. 
As  my  solicitors  will  be  quite  able  to  attend  to  these  mat- 
ters I  can  at  once  return  where  I  came  from" — and  here  the 
nicker  of  a  smile  appeared  for  a  moment  on  the  young 
man's  features  but  as  quickly  vanished  again— "as  you  have 
just  so  kindly  suggested.  I  have  no  desire  to  remain  in 
an  unhealthy  neighbourhood  when  there  is  no  object  to  be 
attained  by  it,"  and  he  rose  lightly  to  his  feet.  "I  regret, 
Miss  De  Roche,"  he  said  turning  to  the  girl  with  a  slight 
inclination,  "to  have  troubled  you  with  this  interview,  espe- 
cially as  it  appears  that  you  or  your  brother  have  no  control 


46  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

over  your  father's  business  and  therefore  have  no  say. 
I  hope,  however,  that  Mr.  Layburn  will  be  more  successful 
with  it  in  the  future  than  he  has  been  in  the  past.  I  shall 
stay  to-night  at  the  hotel — I  see  they  have  accommodation 
for  travellers — and  should  Mr.  Layburn  see  fit  to  recon- 
sider his  decision  before  morning,  he  shall  find  me  there. 
I  shall  instruct  my  solicitors  without  delay,  however." 

"Go,  and  the  quicker  the  better,"  said  Layburn  with  an 
oath,  stalking  to  the  door  and  throwing  it  open  with  a  bang. 
Alistair  walked  out  with  his  head  in  the  air  but  with  a 
creepy  sensation  that  ran  along  his  spine  when  he  turned  his 
back  upon  the  furious  cattleman  whom  he  had  thus  bearded. 


CHAPTER  VII 

SOMEWHAT  ruffled  in  his  feelings,  Alistair  trudged 
back  to  the  store  and  found  it  empty  of  customers  this 
time,  but  the  proprietor  himself  was  bustling  abo^it  with  a 
surly  air.  At  Alistair's  request  he  procured  a  telegraph 
blank  and  agreed  to  send  the  message  which  Alistair  wrote 
on  it.  As  to  dinner  or  a  lodging  for  the  night,  however, 
he  refused  to  provide  either. 

''Poor  sort  of  a  hostelry  you  keep,"  said  Alistair  nettled 
at  the  man's  manner  which  seemed  to  him  hostile,  "that  you 
can't  give  a  chap  a  bed  or  a  bite ;"  and  he  turned  his  back 
and  sauntered  out  the  way  he  had  come  without  another 
word.  He  was  sure  that  there  was  something  studied  in 
the  man's  hostility.  It  was  not  mere  boorishness  or  incivility 
and  he  guessed  that  he  must  have  heard  something  as  to  the 
mission  on  which  he  had  come.  Gossip  travels  fast  in  the 
country  where  everybody  seeks  to  mind  his  neighbours' 
business,  he  reflected. 

Outside  he  met  a  small  boy  of  about  twelve  hurrying 
briskly  towards  the  store. 

"Do  you  know  where  the  stage  driver  lives,  my  son?" 

The  urchin  turned  a  chubby,  freckled  face  towards  him 
and  grinned. 

"Guess  I  do,"  he  said.  "He  lives  where  I  do;  he's  my 
brother,"  he  added  with  a  touch  of  pride. 

"Well,  I  hope  it's  not  a  secret,"  said  Alistair  with  a 
smile,  "  'cause  you  see  I'd  like  to  know.  In  fact,  I  want 
to  go  there  and  the  sooner  the  better." 

"Sure,  I'll  show  you ;  but  Jim  ain't  home  now.  He's  gone 
over  to  Jasper  Holt's  with  the  team  to  get  some  hay;  and 
I've  got  to  hurry  after  him  once  I've  took  back  this  here 
bacon  an'  help  him  load  up.     See  that  gate  down  there  at 

47 


48  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

the  foot  of  the  hill?"  he  asked  pointing  with  his  hand. 
"You  just  turn  in  there  an'  then  follow  your  nose.  We'll 
be  back  after  an  hour  or  so." 

"Is  there  anybody  home  now?"  Alistair  asked. 

"Only  Mother  an'  the  kids,  I  guess.  Better  wait  till  we 
come  an'  you  can  ride  on  top  of  the  hay." 

"No,  thank  you,"  said  Alistair.  "I  think  that  I  shall  go 
along  and  not  wait  for  you;"  and  he  turned  away  to  go 
down  the  hill. 

Climbing  the  gate  to  avoid  having  to  open  it  as  it  was  a 
heavy  one  and  clumsily  hung,  he  followed  a  slightly  wind- 
ing road  marked  out  by  two  wheel  tracks  that  led  through 
the  bush  for  about  half  a  mile  until  it  stopped  abruptly 
before  a  rough  stable  with  a  hayloft  above  built  of  logs 
loosely  framed  together.  It  had  a  lean-to  for  a  wagonshed 
in  which  stood  a  vehicle  which  Alistair  readily  recognised 
as  the  stage  that  had  brought  him  out  that  morning.  About 
thirty  yards  beyond  the  stable  and  surrounded  by  a  rough 
picket  fence,  stood  a  log  house  with  a  wide  verandah  all 
along  the  front  of  it,  and  a  chimney  at  one  end,  out  of  which 
a  thin  column  of  smoke  was  slowly  wreathing  upwards. 
Two  dogs,  an  Airedale  and  a  hound,  rushed  out  with  a 
vociferous  barking  and  appeared  as  if  they  would  have 
eaten  him  up,  while  behind  ran  a  girl  and  a  boy  calling  to 
them  loudly  in  shrill  treble  tones. 

Alistair  being  used  to  dogs,  however,  kept  a  bold  front 
and  the  fury  of  the  onset  soon  resolved  itself  into  low 
growlings  as  they  swung  round  and  came  in  to  sniff  at 
his  heels.  The  youngsters  seeing  a  stranger,  had  come  to 
a  halt;  and  the  little  girl  with  her  apron  to  her  chin  and 
the  boy  with  his  arms  akimbo  stood  shyly  waiting  his 
approach. 

"Oh,  you  would  like  to  eat  me  up,  would  you?  but  you 
are  not  so  sure  that  you  are  able,"  said  Alistair.  "Your  dogs 
sing  very  sweetly  together,  little  girl,"  he  remarked  refer- 
ring to  the  curious  blending  of  the  hound's  high  whining 
falsetto  with  the  Airedale's  deep  bass. 

"Tony  always  growls  at  strangers  and  so  does  Shep," 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  49 

the  little  boy  answered,  "but  you  needn't  be  afeared.  They 
won't  bite  you  when  we're  here,  will  they,  Liz?"  and  he 
turned  to  the  girl  to  confirm  his  statement. 

"Well,  it's  a  relief  to  know  that,"  said  Alistair,  "but  it 
must  be  hard  on  people  when  you're  not  here." 

"They  only  bite  tramps,"  said  the  little  girl  with  an  air 
of  superior  wisdom,"  and  that  was  only  once  when  a  man 
tried  to  take  away  Jim's  saddle  from  the  barn.  I  bet  he 
was  scared." 

"And  how  do  you  know  that  I'm  not  a  tramp?"  asked 
Alistair. 

"  'Cos  you're  too  well  dressed,"  was  the  reply.  "Tramps 
are  always  ragged  and  they  don't  walk  straight  like  you." 

"Eliza-ah,  Sa-am,  Eliza-ah,  Sa-am,"  a  shrill  voice  came 
from  the  front  where  a  portly  female  figure  stood  enframed 
in  the  doorway  of  the  little  house,  "come  and  fetch  them 
clothes  in  off  the  grass  this  minute.  See  what  a  sight  o' 
rain  is  comin'  up.    Hurry  now." 

The  warning  seemed  not  uncalled  for  as  a  huge,  black 
cloud  had  rolled  over  from  the  west  and  the  first  big  drops, 
precursors  of  the  storm,  were  already  falling.  The  children 
hurried  off  to  answer  their  mother's  S.O.S.  call  for  the 
family  wash  which  lay  spread  out  over  the  grass  in  front. 
The  worthy  lady  had  rushed  out  herself  bearing  a  basket 
and  it  was  surprising  to  see  how  soon,  with  the  help  of  the 
children,  she  had  all  the  various  articles  of  lingerie  gathered 
up  and  safely  bestowed  on  the  porch.  Only  then  did  she 
have  time  to  take  stock  of  the  stranger  who  had  moved 
under  shelter  and  stood  awaiting  her  leisure,  while  the  rain 
began  to  come  down  in  torrents. 

"You  were  just  in  time,  weren't  you,"  he  said  easily  with 
a  smile  as  at  last  she  turned  to  scan  him,  her  eye  running 
over  deliberately  every  detail  of  his  person,  the  small  shoes, 
the  natty  leggings  and  bulging  breeches  of  the  latest  Lon- 
don cut. 

"The  rain  sure  did  come  down  quick,"  she  replied.  "I 
never  see  the  like  before  an'  them  boys  out  after  a  load 
of  hay.     But  come  right  inside,"  she  broke  off  suddenly; 


50  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

and  pulling  open  the  screen  door,  she  ushered  him  into  a 
fair-sized  room  with  a  big  rustic  table  in  the  middle,  the 
legs  of  which  were  composed  of  lengths  of  log  sawed  off 
at  right  angles.  The  walls  were  lined  with  natural  cedar 
tongue  and  groove  and  were  adorned  with  several  lithographs 
and  calendars. 

Alistair  sat  down  on  the  rocker  which  was  offered  him 
while  his  hostess  stood  waiting  by  the  table  curious  to  know 
his  business. 

"You  are  Mrs.  Appleby,  the  stage  driver's  mother,  are 
you  not?"  Alistair  asked  by  way  of  introduction.  "I  came 
up  with  your  son  this  morning,"  he  went  on  after  she  had 
nodded  assent,  "and  I  want  to  go  down  again  with  him 
to-morrow.  I  have  come  to  see  if  you  could  put  me  up 
for  the  night  with  you  as  it  appears  they  do  not  have  room 
for  me  at  the  hotel  or  the  store  or  whatever  they  call  it." 

"Jim  told  me  there  were  a  gentleman  come  up  with  him. 
He  did  say  as  how  you  had  gone  down  to  the  De  Roches, 
but  you'll  be  very  welcome  here,"  she  said  hospitably.  "You 
can  have  Jim's  bed  and  I'll  make  a  shake-down  for  him. 
He's  used  to  rough  lying  when  he's  been  workin'  out  and 
sleepin'  in  the  bunk-houses.  I  suppose  you  had  your  dinner 
at  De  Roches." 

"Well  no,"  said  Alistair.  "I  tried  to  get  some  down  at 
the  hotel  but  it  was  past  the  dinner  hour  and  they  wouldn't 
give  me  any.  I'm  hungry,  too,  as  a  matter  of  fact,"  and  he 
laughed.  "This  high,  thin  atmosphere  of  yours  seems  to 
be  good  for  the  appetite." 

"Oh  well,  I'll  get  you  something  at  once,"  she  said  hos- 
pitably. "Will  a  bit  of  bacon  and  fried  eggs  be  all  right 
and  a  cup  of  tea?" 

"Splendid,"  said  Alistair.     "Couldn't  be  better." 

She  bustled  off  to  the  room  in  the  rear  and  he  leaned  back 
in  his  chair  and  with  a  sigh  of  relief  and  anticipation  settled 
down  to  wait.  The  rain  was  pouring  down  outside  and 
made  a  loud  noise  on  the  porch-roof  while  a  vivid  flash  of 
lightning  was  followed  by  a  heavy  peal  of  thunder  and  the 
little  girl  began  to  cry. 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  51 

"God's  angry  and  she's  afraid,"  her  brother  explained 
to  Alistair.  "I  ain't  afraid.  I'm  glad  I  didn't  go  with 
Jim  and  Herb  though.  Jim  White's  cow  was  killed  by- 
lightning  last  year." 

Alistair  took  the  little  girl  on  his  knee  and  pacified  her 
tears.  By  the  time  the  eggs  and  bacon  arrived  he  had 
made  friends  with  both  her  and  her  brother.  As  he  ate, 
they  prattled  away  gaily,  the  boy  on  one  side  of  him  and 
the  girl  on  the  other.  However,  at  the  sound  of  a  great 
stamping  of  feet  and  boyish  voices  at  the  back  of  the  house 
they  rushed  off.  Herb  was  to  bring  some  candy  from  the 
store,  they  explained.  They  left  the  door  between  the  two 
rooms  half  open  and  Alistair  could  hear  quite  plainly  what 
was  being  said. 

"Say,  Mother,  what  d'ye  think,"  he  heard  clearly  after 
a  few  words  about  the  hay  and  the  errands  they  had  done. 
"You  know  that  English  swell  that  came  up  with  me  in 
the  morning.  That  was  the  chap  that  has  the  mortgage  on 
the  De  Roche  place  an'  he's  come  all  the  way  out  here  to 
take  it  from  them  because  it  hain't  been  paid.  Tim  White 
told  me  all  about  it.     I'd  never  have  brought  him  up  if  I'd 

known.      I'd   have "    and   the   voice   ceased    suddenly. 

Alistair  heard  the  mother  whispering  and  then  the  boy's 
voice  whispering  in  reply.  He  could  guess  what  they  were 
saying.  She  was  telling  him  that  he  was  inside.  There  was 
an  argument  going  on  between  the  three  for  he  could  tell 
the  other  boy  was  there  too.  It  was  plain  that  the  mother 
was  objecting  to  the  boy's  contentions  and  though  he  did 
not  wish  to  listen  he  could  not  help  hearing  such  snatches 
as  'Til  soon  tell  him,  he  can't  stay  here,"  "I  don't  care  if 
it  does  storm,"  and  so  forth. 

At  last,  Jim  the  stage  driver  came  in,  with  his  smaller 
brother  close  behind  him  and  the  mien  of  both  was  any- 
thing but  friendly,  for  their  faces  were  overcast  with  a 
sullen  air  and  their  slender  figures  stiff  and  awkward  with 
the  embarrassment  of  their  hostility.  The  little  brother  and 
sister  would  have  followed  them  into  the  room  but  were 
sternly  forbidden. 


52  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

Alistair  felt  keenly  the  unpleasantness  of  the  position 
and  he  sympathised  with  the  feelings  of  the  youngsters  in 
their  enmity  inspired  by  the  thought  that  he  had  come  out 
to  persecute  their  friends.  However,  he  would  make  the 
best  of  it  and  he  did  not  wait  for  the  others  to  speak. 

"Here  I  am  again,  you  see,"  he  said  nodding  pleasantly 
to  Jim  over  his  plate  of  bacon  and  eggs,  now  well  depleted. 
"You  didn't  expect  to  see  me  so  soon,  did  you?" 

Jim's  face  flushed  painfully  as  he  replied :  "You'll  have 
to  get  out,  you  know,"  and  he  appeared  to  have  difficulty 
in  framing  his  words.  "I  know  what  you've  come  for  an' 
we  can't  have  you  stay  in  our  house.  You'll  have  to  go. 
Mother  didn't  know  or  she  never  would  have  agreed  to  let 
you  stop  here." 

"What  have  I  come  for,  then,  my  boy,  seeing  you  know 
so  much  about  my  business?"  Alistair  asked  feeling  some- 
what at  a  loss  himself. 

"You've  come  to  put  the  sheriff  in  at  Inshallah,"  the 
boy  replied  hotly.  "That's  what  you've  come  for;  an' 
you'll  find  it  ain't  such  an  easy  thing  as  you  think  by  the 
time  you're  through  either.  But  anyway,  you  can't  stay 
with  us,  that's  sure  enough,  so  the  sooner  you  get  out  the 
better,"  and  his  lip  quivered  with  anger  while  his  voice 
which  was  at  the  changing  period  varied  curiously  between 
a  high  treble  and  a  man's  bass. 

"You  surely  wouldn't  put  me  out  in  the  midst  of  a  storm 
like  this,  would  you?"  Alistair  asked  glancing  out  through 
the  window  where  the  rain  could  be  seen  coming  down  in 
sheets  while  a  furious  wind  drove  it  loudly  in  upon  the 
porch  and  against  the  windows.  "I  haven't  even  my  over- 
coat with  me.     I  left  it  down  at  the  store  with  my  traps." 

"  'Taint  far  to  the  store  an'  you  ain't  either  sugar  or 
salt,"  was  the  sarcastic  answer,  showing  that  the  speaker 
was  nothing  moved  by  Alistair's  plaintive  plea.  "  'Sides 
I  can  lend  you  my  slicker  an'  that'll  keep  you  dry.  You 
can  leave  it  at  the  store.  'Tain't  any  worse  for  you  walkin' 
down  there  than  'twas  for  us  comin'  up  on  the  top  o'  that 
load  o'  hay ;  no  not  as  bad  I  guess."    Sure  enough  the  boys 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  53 

were  both  wet  through  though  they  seemed  to  reck  little 
of  it. 

"Well,  then,"  said  Alistair,  foiled  in  this  defence,  "your 
mother  arranged  that  I  could  stay  here  all  night  and  it  is 
with  her  I'm  dealing.  If  she  insists  on  me  going  I  suppose 
I'll  have  to ;  but  I  won't  go  unless."  He  leaned  back  in 
his  chair  with  an  air  of  determination  and  picking  up  his 
knife  and  fork  began  to  eat.  "This  bacon's  getting  cold 
and  if  you'll  excuse  me,  I'll  finish  it." 

"Oh,  but  you'll  have  to  go,  you  know,"  said  the  smaller 
boy,  Herb,  speaking  for  the  first  time  and  eager  to  rein- 
force his  brother.    "I  guess  it's  our  house  ain't  it?" 

"Mother's  too  soft-hearted,"  Jim  replied.  "She'd  never 
put  anyone  away,  but  it  ain't  her  you've  got  to  deal  with,  so 
you'd  better  go  quiet.  D'ye  think  that  we  are  goin'  to 
have  the  De  Roches  think  we're  puttin'  you  up  when  we 
know  what  mischief  you're  up  to.  No.  I  guess  not;" 
and  Jim  approached  a  step  nearer  with  a  truculent  look 
in  his  eye.    "Go  bring  his  hat,  Herb." 

It  was  an  awkward  moment;  but  Alistair  went  on  eating 
his  lunch.  He  had  no  mind  to  be  ejected  in  this  ignominious 
fashion  if  it  could  be  avoided,  and  a  personal  struggle  with 
the  two  youngsters  was  anything  but  desirable. 

"I  quite  enter  into  your  feelings,  boys,"  he  began  again 
upon  another  tack.  "As  friends  of  the  De  Roches  you  feel 
that  you  cannot  harbour  their  enemies  and  you  think  that 
I  am  one.  However,  you  won't  do  them  any  good  by 
throwing  me  out  in  the  rain.  Mind  I'm  perfectly  ready  to 
go  if  your  mother  says  the  word;  but  I  am  her  guest  and 
only  from  her  will  I  take  my  dismissal." 

"Get  around  the  other  side  of  him,  Herb.  Don't  be 
afraid,  he's  only  a  city  dude.  These  chaps  ain't  strong 
at  all;  they're  all  soft  like  butter,"  and  the  stage  driver 
slipped  off  his  wet  jumper  and  threw  it  into  a  corner  of 
the  room  and  moved  a  step  still  nearer. 

"Now,  remember,  Jim,"  Alistair  warned,  "if  either  of 
you  lay  a  hand  on  me  it's  assault  and  battery  punishable  by 
fine  or  imprisonment.    You'd  better  consider  well  whether 


54  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

you  have  the  right  to  take  chances  on  that  for  your  mother's 
sake  if  not  for  your  own." 

"I  don't  care,"  said  Jim  defiantly.  "You  ain't  goin'  to 
sit  there  and  dare  us  after  we've  told  you  to  go,"  and  he 
seized  hold  of  Alistair's  shoulder  with  a  grip  that  was  no 
tender  one  when  Mrs.  Appleby  rushed  into  the  room.  She 
had  been  listening  to  all  that  had  been  said. 

"Let  the  gentleman  stay,  Jim,  do  you  hear,"  she  said 
angrily.  "I  ain't  goin'  to  have  no  rough  houses  nor  no 
damage  suits  neither,  I  am  a-telling  you.  'Taint  goin'  to 
do  the  De  Roches  any  good  an'  if  you  get  into  gaol  over  it, 
what  am  I  goin'  to  do.  You  know  I  hain't  got  no  money 
to  pay  fines.  Go  right  this  minute  and  put  off  them  wet 
clothes  and  the  gentleman  can  stay  till  to-morrow  if  he 
wants  to." 

"I  assure  you  I'll  go  at  once  if  you  say  so,  Mrs.  Appleby," 
said  Alistair.  "I  was  really  only  trying  to  scare  the  boys 
when  I  talked  of  that.  I  would  never  have  put  it  into  prac- 
tice even  if  they  had  thrown  me  out." 

The  two  still  glared  daggers  at  Alistair  but  Mrs.  Appleby 
was  firm. 

"Go  on  now  and  do  what  you're  told ;  and  be  quick  about 
it,"  she  said  imperatively,  and  there  was  that  in  her  eye 
that  demanded  obedience. 

The  two  went  off  sullenly,  Jim  slamming  the  door  behind 
him  with  a  loud  bang. 

"Jim's  a  pretty  good  boy,"  she  remarked,  "but  he  ain't 
got  all  the  sense  in  the  world  in  his  head  yet.  I  wouldn't 
put  a  dog  out  in  a  day  like  this ;  an'  I  guess  I  wouldn't  you, 
sir,  even  if  you  have  come  here  on  a  bad  errand,  which,  of 
course,  ain't  yet  been  proved  to  me." 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THERE'S  the  devil  to  pay  now,  Olney,"  said  Ted  when 
the  latter  had  stalked  back  into  the  room  and  thrown 
himself  down  in  a  chair  looking  discomposed  and  crest- 
fallen, in  spite  of  the  high  tone  he  had  taken  with  the 
departed  visitor. 

"Devil's  the  right  word  for  him,  Ted,  damn  him,"  he 
answered.  "How  we're  to  pay  him,  I  don't  know,  though 
I  know  how  I'd  like  to  pay  him,  the  way  we  used  to  do 
horse-thieves  down  in  Arizona  with  a  rope  and  a  cotton- 
wood  tree." 

"What  will  happen  if  we  don't?"  said  Lorraine.  "Can 
he  sell  off  the  stock  as  he  says  ?" 

"I  guess  he  can  at  sheriff's  sale  until  he  gets  enough  to 
realise  what's  due.  There's  not  much  market  for  either 
cattle  or  horses  now  either  with  beef  going  down  an'  not 
touched  bottom  yet.  It'd  be  simply  ruinous  to  sell  'em 
now." 

"We're  sure  done  for  if  we  lose  the  stock,"  said  Ted 
gloomily.  "The  place  wouldn't  pay  taxes  without  it.  If 
you  knew  he  could  sell  us  up,  you  might  have  talked  a  bit 
sweeter  to  him,"  he  went  on  flaring  up  at  the  older  man  with 
a  boy's  petulance.  "A  nice  mess  you've  made  of  it,  eh, 
Sis?"  and  he  looked  to  Lorraine. 

"I'm  afraid  that  we  were  all  equally  in  fault,  Ted,"  she 
replied.  "Olney  did  his  best,  no  doubt,  but  if  I  had  realised 
how  serious  it  was  I  might  have  done  differently.  There's 
Mr.  Thibault  coming  in,  we'll  ask  his  advice  what  to  do. 
One  can  always  trust  to  his  judgment." 

"Aye,  for  Lesesne's  side  of  the  bargain ;  but  not  for  any- 
body else.  Trust  him  for  that.  Don't  listen  to  him,"  said 
Layburn  with  a  sneer. 

"Father  always  trusted  him  and  I  don't  believe  he  ever 

55 


56  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

advised  him  wrong.  He  may  be  sharp  at  a  bargain  but  I 
don't  believe  he  ever  took  the  better  of  his  friends,"  the 
girl  said  quietly,  as  she  rose  and  went  out  to  the  porch  to 
welcome  the  newcomer.  In  a  moment  or  two  she  returned 
with  him,  the  rest  meanwhile  sitting  moodily  silent. 

He  was  a  man  a  little  over  the  medium  height  but  power- 
fully built.  His  hair  had  been  black  but  was  now  plenti- 
fully filled  with  grey  as  was  the  moustache  and  goatee  that 
adorned  his  upper  lip  and  chin.  He  wore  no  coat  and  his 
vest,  which  had  once  been  black  but  was  now  a  bottle  green, 
was  unbuttoned  except  for  the  lowest  button.  His  pants 
were  of  the  same  hue  and  were  tucked  into  heavy  boots 
that  came  halfway  up  to  the  knee. 

"Thought  I  would  stop  for  dinner  with  you  folks,"  he 
said  after  he  had  greeted  everyone.  "I'm  on  my  way  to 
Rummel's  to  see  about  a  cook.  Men  all  say  they  can't  stand 
the  Chinaman's  grub  and  I've  got  to  try  a  change.  Can't 
afford  to  run  the  risk  o'  losin'  them.  How  are  the  crops 
comin',  Olney?  You're  not  lookin'  very  chipper,  none  o' 
you  ain't,"  he  continued  looking  shrewdly  from  one  to  the 
other. 

"'Tain't  my  fault,"  Layburn  growled  rather  sulkily, 
crossing  one  leg  over  the  other  and  beginning  to  play  with 
the  rowel  of  his  spur. 

"We're  in  a  peck  of  trouble,  Mr.  Thibault,"  Lorraine 
broke  in.  "Mr.  Kilgour  who  holds  the  mortgage  on  the 
ranch  has  been  here — he's  come  all  the  way  from  England, 
it  seems — and  he  wanted  to  stay  here  at  the  house  and  show 
us  how  to  run  the  place.  Said  he  needed  to  see  that  he  was 
given  fair  play  and  that  the  revenues  were  not  being 
diverted  and  all  that.  Of  course,  we  wouldn't  stand  for  it 
and  Olney  sent  him  away." 

"Yes,  with  a  flea  in  his  ear,"  Ted  burst  in.  "Infernal 
cheek,  I  call  it,  to  suggest  such  a  thing!  I  guess  he  was 
feeling  mighty  hot  to  be  sent  to  the  right-about  that  way." 

"Yes,  but  he  says  that  he  will  take  proceedings  at  once 
on  the  chattel  mortgage,"  Lorraine  went  on  anxiously; 
"and  I  think  that  maybe  we  made  a  mistake  in  not  being 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  57 

a  little  more  civil  with  him.  What  do  you  think,  Mr. 
Thibault?" 

"Is  the  mortgage  due?"  the  latter  asked  with  a  look  o£ 
concern. 

"Yes,  it's  away  overdue,  interest  and  principal.  We 
expected  to  pay  it  off  with  the  spring  beef  but  we  aren't 
going  to  have  nearly  enough  and  the  stock  are  in  such  poor 
shape  that  we  don't  know  if  we  will  be  able  to  sell  them. 
The  interest  on  the  big  mortgage  on  the  ranch  hasn't  been 
paid  either." 

"Same  man  holds  both,  doesn't  he  ?  What  have  you  been 
doing  with  all  the  money?  Surely  you  should  have  been 
able  to  pay  the  interest.     Beef's  been  low  to  be  sure  and 

crops  bad,  but  even  then "  and  Thibault  gave  a  slight 

shrug  to  his  shoulders  and  raised  his  eyebrows  significantly 
as  he  glanced  over  at  Layburn  as  if  looking  to  him  for 
an  explanation. 

The  latter  shifted  uneasily  in  his  chair  and  a  flush 
appeared  on  his  face. 

"There's  been  so  many  other  things  to  meet,"  he  said; 
"and  then  we  lost  a  lot  of  the  young  stock  with  blackleg." 

"Well,  there  ain't  much  excuse  for  that  these  days; 
inoculation's  cheap  and  easy,"  said  Thibault.  "I  know  if 
I  had  a  mortgage  on  my  place  an'  a  chattel  mortgage  on  top 
o'  that,  I  wouldn't  be  takin'  any  chances  on  blackleg." 

"Olney  did  the  best  he  could,"  said  Lorraine  quickly; 
"it's  too  bad  though  if  the  stock's  got  to  be  sold  for  the 
chattel  mortgage.  Nice  thing  to  have  a  sheriff's  sale  at 
Inshallah.  Dad  would  die  of  shame  if  he  was  to  know 
of  it,"  and  she  turned  away  to  hide  the  mist  of  tears  that 
flooded  into  her  eyes. 

"Nobody'll  buy  store  cattle  just  now  either,  for  anything 
like  a  fair  price  with  beef  goin'  down  every  day,"  said 
Layburn.  "Some  big  dealer  like  you,  Mr.  Thibault,  will 
bid  them  in  for  a  song  an'  make  a  pile  on  'em  by  Fall,"  he 
added  a  trifle  insolently. 

"If  I'd  been  you  I'd  have  tried  not  to  rile  the  man  that 
had  the  mortgage,"  said  Thibault,  ignoring  the  covert  sneer 


5  8  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

in  the  other's  tone.  "No  use  stirring  up  trouble  if  you 
don't  have  to.  You  couldn't  blame  the  man  being  worried 
over  his  money  and  it  might  not  a'  done  you  any  harm  to 
ha'  had  him  on  the  ranch  with  you  a  while.  You'd  ha' 
had  a  good  chance  to  get  acquainted  with  him — an'  it  never 
hurts  to  listen  to  advice." 

"Then  you  think  that  we  should  have  fallen  in  with  his 
demand  and  let  him  come  here  to  lord  it  over  us?"  said 
Lorraine  tossing  her  head  and  flushing  rosily. 

"Better  that  than  have  the  sheriff  here  while  your  father 
lies  upstairs  helpless,"  he  replied  gravely  with  another  shrug 
of  his  shoulders  and  a  faint  deprecatory  wave  of  both  hands 
palm  downwards.  "If  he  gets  well  we  must  be  able  to 
show  him  that  whatever  happened  we  did  the  best  we  could ; 
and  if  it  requires  that  we  eat  humble  pie  for  a  while,  why 
then "  and  he  raised  his  eyebrows  significantly. 

"Not  on  your  life!"  said  Ted  loudly  with  a  mirthless 
laugh.  "Let  him  sell  the  cattle  and  horses  if  he  likes. 
We've  still  got  the  ranch  anyway." 

"You  won't  have  it  long  when  there's  a  big  mortgage  and 
you  have  no  stock  to  make  it  pay,"  suggested  Thibault. 

"I'll  see  if  I  can't  raise  the  money  to  meet  the  chattel 
mortgage  at  the  Kamloops  bank.  They  ought  to  advance  it, 
considering  all  the  business  they've  had  from  us." 

"Father  could  always  get  what  he  wanted  when  he  was 
well,"  said  Lorraine.  "They  surely  should  help  us  now. 
Couldn't  you  and  Ted  go  over  to-morrow  and  see  ?"  she  said 
to  Layburn. 

"I  guess  we  could.  That  manager  though  is  no  good.  I 
can't  stand  him,  he's  so  high  and  mighty  you  would  think 
he  owned  the  whole  bank  himself." 

"Has  this  man,  what's  his  name,  gone  back  yet?"  asked 
Thibault. 

"No,  he's  gone  back  to  the  hotel;  but  he's  going  down 
on  the  stage  to-morrow,  I  guess.  He's  to  give  his  lawyers 
their  instructions,"  said  Lorraine.  "I  wonder  how  long  it 
takes,"  she  continued  anxiously. 

"Well,"  said  Thibault,  "I've  got  to  be  on  my  way  for 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  59 

it's  a  long  ride  over  there;  but  my  advice  to  you  is  this. 
See  him  before  he  goes  and  try  to  get  him  to  forego  pro- 
ceedings and  stay  on  at  the  ranch  here  till  you  can  pay  him 
the  money  or  satisfy  him  that  he's  going  to  be  paid.  To  my 
mind  that's  the  quickest  and  easiest  way  out  of  a  bad  busi- 
ness."   And  he  rose  to  take  his  leave. 


CHAPTER  IX 

AT  seven  o'clock  the  same  evening  the  storm  abated 
just  as  quickly  as  it  had  arisen  and  a  watery  moon 
gleamed  out  fitfully  over  the  lake  through  fleecy  clouds 
that  raced  across  the  sky  before  a  strong  wind  that  seemed 
to  veer  around  capriciously  from  almost  every  point  of 
the  compass.  A  cheery  light  beamed  from  the  windows 
of  the  Duck  Lake  Hotel  and  soon  after  the  rain  had  ceased 
horsemen  singly  and  in  twos  and  threes  wended  their  way 
along  the  lake  front  and  tied  up  their  cayuses  by  the  hitch- 
ing posts  or  left  them  untied  with  the  reins  down  to  await 
the  wills  of  their  lords  and  masters. 

To-night  the  little  group  that  congregated  in  front  of 
the  bar  had  matter  of  more  than  usual  interest  to  chat  about 
for  the  news  of  the  telegram  that  the  stranger  from  across 
the  seas  had  sent  had  leaked  out.  Two  of  the  men,  Dick 
Evie  and  Paul  Lorringer,  were  employed  at  Inshallah  and 
the  news  for  them  might  portend  the  loss  of  their  jobs.  In 
the  conversation  that  ensued  the  dominant  note  was  indig- 
nation against  the  stranger. 

Monte,  the  cowboy  from  Arizona  who  had  been  pointed 
out  by  the  stage  driver  to  Alistair  on  his  drive  up  as  "a  real 
bad  man"  from  the  real  cowboy  country,  was  especially 
emphatic  in  his  remarks.  He  was  in  the  midst  of  a  long 
rambling  harangue  when  the  door  opened  and  young  Ted 
De  Roche  stalked  into  the  room.  His  mien  was  a  slightly 
conscious  one  as  he  strolled  up  to  the  bar  and  nodded  a 
greeting  to  those  about  and  called  for  a  glass  of  whisky. 
Monte  paused  a  second  or  so  in  his  speech  and  then  went 
on  again.  One  elbow  was  on  the  counter  and  one  foot  on 
the  footrail  that  extended  along  the  front  of  the  little  gutter 
;which  served  as  a  drain  and  a  cuspidor  as  well  as  a  recep- 
tacle for  stubs  of  cigars  and  other  castaways.     His  head 

60 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  61 

was  bent  forward  for  emphasis  and  one  hand  with  two 
fingers  extended  was  laid  on  the  sleeve  of  his  nearest 
listener. 

"D'ye  know  how  we'd  ha'  treated  a  tenderfoot  like  this 
here  chap  down  on  Circle  'K/  "  he  was  saying.  "Strung 
'im  up !  Naw,"  and  he  shook  his  head  in  disgust.  "Nothin' 
o'  the  kind !  They'd  have  simply  scared  'im  out  o'  the 
country.  No,  these  chaps  didn't  stand  for  no  nonsense. 
Well,  I  guess  not.  How  did  they  treat  Marmadook — that 
wasn't  his  real  name  but  that  was  what  we  called  him. 
Wy,  wot  they  did  was  just  this — when  e'  began  shootin' 
off  his  lip, — for  he  was  a  powerful  onpleasant  sort  of  coon, 
'e  was — they  jist  rounded  him  up,  so  to  speak,  an'  set  him 
on  old  Joe  Bates'  pinto  pony  bareback,  face  to  the  tail. 
Joe  Steves  and  Baldy,  that  was  foreman  on  the  OP  outfit, 
each  put  an  end  of  their  lasso  round  his  middle  and  another 
chap  ridin'  ahead  leadin'  the  pinto  and  these  two  one  on 
each  side  they  rode  him  out  o'  camp  and  right  through  town 
yellin'  an'  ky-yin'  like  a  pack  o'  coyotes  worrying  a  sick 
sheep.  I  laughed  fit  to  kill  myself  to  see  how  the  poor  galoot 
hung  on  to  the  pinto's  back  for  dear  life  though  it  weren't 
too  easy  at  the  rate  that  we  made  the  brute  travel.  Ah,  we 
don't  have  no  fun  like  these  days  round  this  here  bloomin' 
country."  and  Monte  sighed  heavily  before  burying  his  lips 
for  consolation  in  the  glass  of  beer  that  now  stood  before 
him  on  the  counter. 

"That's  what  you  ought  to  do  with  this  chap  that's  got 
the  mortgage  on  Inshallah,  Ted,"  said  Andy  Wilmot,  a 
homesteader  who  bore  no  good  will  to  the  De  Roche  family. 
The  feeling  arose  out  of  an  unpleasantness  that  had  devel- 
oped over  an  Inshallah  calf  which  had  strayed  into  the 
Wilmot  corral  under  circumstances  that  pointed  to  the 
probability  that  its  wandering  had  resulted  from  external 
rather  than  from  internal  promptings. 

The  boy  had  just  poured  a  glass  of  whisky  down  his 
throat  and  he  turned  a  flushed  and  angry  face  towards  the 
speaker. 


62  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

"You  mind  your  own  business,  Andy,"  he  said ;  "I'd  like 
to  know  what  you  know  about  him  anyway." 

"I  know  what  they're  sayin',  that's  all,"  answered  Andy 
with  a  sneer,  "that  he's  goin'  to  sell  you  folks  up  by  the 
sheriff  just  as  soon  as  he  can  get  him  out  here.  You 
Inshallah  chaps  won't  have  so  much  ridin'  then,  I  guess, 
nor  the  range  won't  be  so  crowded  either,  I'm  thinkin'." 

"Don't  you  fool  yourself,  my  boy,"  said  Ted;  "it's  not 
your  fault  if  it  is  crowded  anyway.  There'd  be  lots  of 
less  calves  on  it  if  you  had  your  way." 

There  was  a  loud  laugh  at  this  sally  and  Andy  hastened 
to  drown  his  confusion  in  a  glass  of  beer. 

"Where  did  the  chap  go?"  asked  Monte  of  Tim  White 
who  was  serving  bar.  "I'm  surprised  he  isn't  round  orna- 
mentin'  them  chairs  o'  yours,  Tim.  They  tell  me  he  was 
got  up  like  a  regular  stage  dude,  whiskers  an'  eyeglass  an' 
all.    We  uns  might  a'  had  a  little  fun  with  'im." 

"He'd  a-been  here  if  I'd  ha'  kept  him,"  said  Tim,  "but 
I  was  so  mad  when  I  knew  what  he  was  up  to  that  I  sent 
'm  off  with  a  flea  in  'is  ear  an'  I  guess  he  went  up  to 
Jimmy  Appleby's  to  see  if  they  could  put  'im  up.  Jimmy 
was  down  past  here  for  a  load  of  hay  and  I  told  'im  about 
'im  an'  I  guess  he  wouldn't  get  no  too  warm  a  welcome 
from  Jimmy.  Jimmy's  a  game  little  cuss  an'  he  knows  how 
to  stand  by  his  friends." 

"They  must  have  kept  him  anyway,  he  havn't  come  back 
at  all  and  it  ain't  loikely  he  would  have  climbed  the  moun- 
tains," broke  in  Dennis,  a  little  stunted  Irishman,  the  gen- 
eral factotum  of  the  place  who  had  drawn  near  and  was. 
engaged  in  adjusting  one  of  the  hanging  lamps  which  needed 
attention. 

"You've  had  enough,  Teddy,  my  boy,  I'm  thinkin',"  said 
Dick  Evie  pushing  back  a  glass  of  whisky  that  Tim  White 
had  just  poured  out  for  him.  "Give  your  stomach  a  rest, 
man.  You  can't  stand  to  take  all  that  liquor.  Let's  go 
over  and  play  a  game  of  cards." 

The  boy  had  already  had  three  glasses  and  the  effects  of 
it  were  showing  in  his  face.    For  a  moment  he  was  inclined 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  63 

to  allow  himself  to  be  dissuaded  by  Dick,  but  the  jeering 
voice  of  the  homesteader  broke  in.  The  latter  was  still 
smarting  from  Ted's  thrust  about  the  calf  and  he  was  glad 
to  get  even  by  seeing  the  boy  make  a  fool  of  himself. 

"That's  right,  Ted,"  he  sneered.  "Liquor  isn't  good  for 
little  boys.     Mama'll  spank  'im  if  he  goes  home  drunk." 

"Give  it  to  me,"  he  said  with  an  oath,  pushing  Dick's 
friendly  hand  aside  and  reaching  for  the  glass.  "You  mind 
your  own  business,  I  guess  I  can  hold  as  much  liquor  as 
any  of  you,"  and  he  drank  it  down. 

"Come  over  and  play  a  game  of  cards,  Ted,"  said  Dick, 
anxious  to  get  him  away  from  the  bar,  taking  hold  of  him 
by  the  arm  in  a  friendly  way. 

"Not  with  you  anyway,"  said  Ted  throwing  him  off 
roughly.  "What  business  have  you  to  boss  me,  I'd  like  to 
know,  eh  ?  I'd  rather  talk  to  Monte,  here.  Monte's  a  man, 
he  is — and  Jack  Beckles." 

"Come  down  to  my  shack,  Kid,"  said  Monte.  "Jack  and 
I  are  goin'  down  for  a  game  at  cards,"  and  he  took  hold  of 
Ted's  other  arm.     The  youth  smiled  fatuously. 

"I  don't  care  if  I  do,  Monte,"  he  said.  "I'm  sick  o'  this 
bunch  here.  They  make  my  head  ache,  they  do ;"  and  he 
suffered  himself  to  be  led  outside.  Here  all  three  mounted 
their  horses  and  rode  off  down  the  road  to  the  little  shack 
where  Monte  lived  alone,  for  he  called  no  man  master.  He 
was  always  willing  to  hire  himself  out  for  a  day  or  two  of 
riding  to  any  cattleman  who  needed  an  extra  hand  to  break 
a  few  colts  at  so  much  a  head,  but  he  never  could  be  got 
to  take  a  regular  job.  Sometimes  he  was  very  flush  and  at 
other  times  he  lived  on  his  credit  at  Tim  White's,  where 
he  could  always  run  up  a  bill  for  groceries  and  tobacco,  for 
he  was  sure  to  pay  in  time  and  his  credit  was  good. 

When  they  had  dismounted  and  entered  by  the  little  door 
which  was  always  left  unlocked  and  Jack  had  lighted  the 
candle  which  stood  on  the  rough  board  table,  they  did  not 
play  cards.  Ted's  troubles  had  so  magnified  themselves 
with  the  fumes  of  the  whisky  that  he  could  think  and  talk 
of  nothing  else ;  and  his  companions  were  ready  to  listen 


64  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

and  sympathise.  The  boy  was  flattered  by  their  apparent 
deference  and  in  his  fuddled  state,  he  could  not  see  that 
they  were  just  playing  with  him. 

"Olney  and  my  sister,  they  think  that  they  are  running 
the  whole  show,"  he  said  turning  over  his  grievances,  "but 
if  they'd  have  let  me  run  the  ranch,  we'd  never  have  been 
in  this  fix.  I'd  have  taken  that  ninny  to-day  by  the  throat 
and  made  him  promise  to  give  us  time  if  it  hadn't  been  for 
them,"  he  continued  waxing  boastful.  "Y'  know  you've 
got  to  handle  people  firmly—  f-f-f -firmly,"  he  repeated  with 
a  grotesque  attempt  at  dignity,  "an'  then  they  ain't  so  likely 

to  sting  you — it's  just  like  the  n-n-n-nettle — hie " 

"That's  right,  Ted,  they  don't  treat  you  right  at  home, 
that's  sure.  You're  the  son  o'  the  house  an'  not  that  son- 
of-a-gun,  Olney  Layburn.  What  right  has  he  to  lord  it 
over  you?  Shouldn't  you  be  the  boss  instead  of  him? 
Now  if  you  had  had  the  dealing  with  this  swankin'  Britisher, 
you'd  ha'  scared  him  so  as  'e  wouldn't  have  given  no  trouble. 
Rode  'im  out  o'  town  like  we  did  the  chap  down  in  Arizona." 
"Sh-sure  I  would,"  assented  Ted  leaning  back  in  his  seat 
and  nodding  with  portentous  solemnity.  "I'd  have  sc-scared 
the  life  out  of  him.  He  would  have  been  glad — glad  to 
make  terms  with  me." 

Monte  winked  at  Jack  Beckles  and  the  latter  thrust  his 
tongue  in  his  cheek  and  grinned  back.  They  sat  facing 
each  other  at  either  end  of  the  table  while  Ted  sat  between 
them,  his  face  between  his  hands  gazing  moodily  before 
him.  Jack  leaned  across  and  laying  his  hand  on  Ted's 
shoulder. 

"Say,  Ted,  he's  over  at  Jimmy's  now!"  he  hissed  in  a 

dramatic  whisper. 

"By  gosh,  Jack!"  said  Monte,  "that's  right.     Might  not 

be  too  late  yet,  eh?" 

"An'  Jimmy  an'  his  mother  ain't  to  home  for  I  met  them 
in  the  buggy  driving  down  to  Hislop's,"  continued  Jack. 
"It  appears  his  wife's  sick  and  they  sent  up  for  her  to  go 
down.     It'll  be  the  best  part  o'  two  hours  till  Jimmy  gets 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  65 

back  so  there'll  be  nobody  there  but  the  kids  and  the  coast'd 
be  clear." 

"That  so,  Jack  ?"  said  Ted  gazing  stupidly  into  the  other's 
eyes.  "Let's  go  down  and  scare  the  life  out  of  the  beggar. 
Will  you  two  back  me  up  ?" 

"Sure  we  will,"  replied  Monte. 

"You  bet  we  will,"  was  Jack's  quick  response. 

"Shake  hands  on  it,"  and  he  held  out  his  hand  to  the  boy 
who  shook  it  with  a  tipsy  man's  fervour.  "I  guess  that  we'd 
better  put  somethin'  over  our  faces  so  as  he  can't  tell  who 
we  are.  It'll  be  a  great  lark  but  there's  no  use  of  lettin' 
people  know  who  did  it.  They'll  be  able  to  guess  all  right, 
but  guessin'  is  a  different  thing  from  knowin'.  I've  got 
the  very  thing  for  the  purpose." 

He  went  over  and  opened  a  square  wooden  box  that  stood 
in  one  corner  of  the  room  and  after  turning  over  its  con- 
tents two  or  three  times  he  produced  three  black  masks, 
one  of  which  he  handed  to  Monte  and  one  he  fitted  upon 
Ted  while  he  put  the  other  in  his  pocket. 

"There  now,"  he  said  to  the  latter,  "your  own  mother 
wouldn't  know  you  if  she  saw  you." 

The  boy  looked  somewhat  sobered  as  he  saw  Monte's 
sinister  appearance  with  the  black  mask  upon  his  face 
and  he  glanced  from  him  to  Jack  Beckles  a  trifle  nervously. 

"I  just  want  to  scare  him  a  bit  you  know,"  he  said;  "but 
don't  want  to  do  anything  that's  likely  to  get  me  into  the 
coop." 

"Of  course  not,  man,"  said  Monte  reassuringly  getting  up 
and  clapping  him  on  his  back.  "It's  only  a  little  lark  but 
it  may  teach  the  young  fellow  not  to  get  too  fresh  around 
these  parts.  He'll  be  none  the  worse  of  a  lesson  and  we're 
the  boys  that  can  teach  him,  ain't  we?" 

"Yes,  we're  the  boys  that  can  teach  him,  you  bet,"  Ted 
replied  recovering  his  courage  and  straightening  up  and 
thrusting  out  his  chest.  "He'll  know  that  he  can't  bully  me 
for  nothing;  an'  Lorraine'll  find  out  who  is  the  boss  round 
our  place,  Olney  or  me,  eh  ?" 


66  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

"You  bet,  she  will,"  Jack  replied  heartily  as  he  lifted  up 
the  candle  to  show  them  to  the  door  before  blowing  it  out. 
"Lorraine'll  get  a  lesson  too  all  right,"  and  he  winked  at 
Monte  who  grinned  back  as  he  stepped  behind  Ted  to  let 
him  go  out  first.    "You  bet  your  sweet  life !" 


CHAPTER  X 

ALISTAIR  sat  in  the  rocker  in  the  dim  light  of  a  small 
lamp  which  stood  on  the  table  while  the  small  boy 
Herb  sat  on  a  low  stool  opposite  him  whittling  out  with  a 
jack  knife  a  wooden  latch  for  a  gate  that  he  was  going 
to  put  up  on  the  morrow.  Mrs.  Appleby  and  Jimmy  had 
gone  off  as  soon  as  supper  was  over  as  the  former,  who 
had  been  a  nurse  before  her  marriage,  had  been  sent  for 
to  attend  a  woman  who  had  been  taken  suddenly  sick  on  a 
farm  some  miles  away. 

Herb  had  done  all  the  chores  himself  and  had  then  come 
in  and  put  the  two  younger  children  to  bed  in  the  adjoin- 
ing room,  a  proceeding  which  had  been  accompanied  by 
cheery  sounds  of  laughter  bearing  witness  to  the  good-will 
that  prevailed  there  among  the  three.  However,  now  that 
the  two  children  were  settled  for  the  night  there  was  silence 
and  Alistair  had  found  all  his  efforts  to  draw  Herb  into  con- 
versation utterly  unavailing.  It  was  clear  that  he  had  been 
sent  to  Coventry  and  while  the  fact  occasioned  him  some 
amusement,  the  feeling  was  mingled  with  chagrin  as  well. 
After  the  rain  had  ceased  he  had  gone  outside  for  a  short 
stroll  along  the  path  through  the  trees  and  the  strangeness 
of  his  environment,  its  wildness  and  its  loneliness,  the  tem- 
pestuousness  of  the  wind  whistling  eerily  through  the  tall 
pines,  had  made  him  feel  the  first  touch  of  homesickness  he 
had  experienced  since  leaving  Scotland. 

It  was  too  wet  underfoot  to  stay  out  long  and  he  had 
come  in  with  his  feet  soaking,  and  in  his  somewhat  de- 
pressed state  of  mind  the  hostility  of  the  small  boy's  attitude 
did  not  tend  to  make  him  feel  any  the  more  cheerful.  He 
was  disgusted  with  the  results  of  the  day's  doings  and  felt 
that  he  had  made  a  mess  of  his  mission  when  perhaps  if  he 

67 


68  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

had  been  a  little  more  tactful  he  might  have  achieved  a 
different  result.  He  blamed  himself  for  not  having  brought 
Atherton  with  him  to  break  the  ice  with  the  De  Roche 
family.  The  broker  had  offered  to  come  but  Alistair  in  the 
pride  of  his  youthful  confidence  had  told  him  that  there  was 
no  need  and  that  he  felt  sure  that  he  would  be  able  to  get 
along  all  right  with  the  De  Roches  and  persuade  them  to  fall 
in  with  his  plans. 

It  appeared  plain  to  him  in  the  light  of  his  experience 
that  he  had  far  underestimated  the  difficulty  of  what  he  had 
undertaken  and  he  began  to  appreciate  the  ungrateful  nature 
of  the  task.  He  had  perhaps  expected  some  coldness  towards 
him  from  the  De  Roches  but  he  had  not  contemplated  the 
prospect  that  the  whole  community  would  look  askance  at 
him  as  well. 

The  silence  was  becoming  oppressive.  He  felt  a  certain 
embarrassment  even  under  the  disapproving  gaze  of  this 
small  boy  with  the  bare  legs  as  after  a  while  he  laid  down 
his  whittling  and  sat  motionless,  staring  with  evident  dis- 
favour at  the  stranger  from  across  the  seas. 

At  last,  Alistair  could  stand  it  no  longer.  He  had  already 
tried  hard  to  break  down  the  boy's  reserve  but  had  finally 
desisted  before  a  succession  of  monosyllables.  He  would 
try  again.  He  would  consider  this  boy  as  a  hostile  witness 
whom  it  was  necessary  to  propitiate,  he  said  to  himself; 
and  the  very  effort  would  while  away  the  evening's  tedium. 
He  had  had  experience  of  boys  and  he  knew  boy  nature 
and  it  could  not  be  so  very  different  in  these  Western  wilds 
from  what  it  was  at  home. 

"Do  you  ever  get  lonely  out  here?"  he  began. 

"No,"  replied  Herb  with  a  decided  note  of  sullenness  in 

his  tone. 

"I  suppose  you  go  to  school,  do  you?" 

"Yes." 

"The  young  lady  that  came  up  with  us  in  the  stage  to-day 
would  be  your  teacher,  I  suppose." 

"Yes." 

"How  is  she,  a  pretty  good  teacher?" 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  69 

"I  dunno." 

"Is  she  good-natured  ?  We  always  had  men  for  teachers 
where  I  went  to  school  so  I  don't  know  very  much  about 
lady-teachers,  you  see." 

No  answer. 

"Her  name  is  Miss  Pelton,  isn't  it  ?  Quite  a  high-sound- 
ing name." 

"Yes." 

"How  many  scholars  are  there  attending  the  school?" 

"I  dunno." 

"What  part  of  your  lessons  do  you  like  best.  I  suppose 
now  that  you  have  several  subjects  to  study,  a  big,  intelligent 
boy  like  you.  Tell  me  something  about  what  you  have  at 
school.  You  see  I've  never  been  out  in  the  West  before  and 
I  am  interested  in  finding  out  about  how  you  do  things 
here,"  and  Alistair  smiled  his  most  winning  smile  but  there 
was  no  answering  gleam  in  response.  Herb  remained  as 
stolid  as  a  stone  image. 

"Oh,  we  learn  lots  o'  things,"  was  his  reply  at  last. 

"Such  as,  for  instance "  prompted  Alistair. 

"Oh,  readin'  an'  writin',  I  guess,"  was  the  sullen  response. 

Alistair  paused  to  count  casualties  as  it  were.  He  felt 
that  on  the  head  of  school  he  was  not  making  much  prog- 
ress so  it  was  plain  he  must  try  another  tack.  Possibly 
Herb  was  not  fond  of  school  and  the  subject  had  no  allure- 
ments for  him.  He  should  have  known  better  than  to  raise 
it.  A  boy  on  a  farm  was  almost  sure  to  be  interested  in 
animals. 

"That  is  a  fine  team  your  brother  has  to  draw  the  stage." 

There  was  no  reply  to  this. 

"Are  you  fond  of  horses?  I  suppose  you  will  be  a  fine 
rider,  able  to  sit  a  bucking  horse  and  throw  the  lasso  and 
all  that?" 

"I  dunno." 

"I  have  a  fine  horse  at  home  with  which  I  sometimes  ride 
to  the  hounds  and  he  can  jump  over  a  five-barred  gate  just 
like  a  bird.  But  I  suppose  he  wouldn't  be  of  much  use  to 
ride  on  these  ranges  of  yours.    He  would  be  breaking  a  leg 


70  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

the  first  thing.    I  daresay  you  ride  all  over  these  steep  hills 
with  your  cattle  horses." 

A  grunt  was  all  the  answer  that  this  called  forth.  Evi- 
dently horses  were  not  going  to  prove  a  common  ground 
of  interest. 

"You  know  your  trains  out  in  this  country  seem  very 
strange  when  one  rides  in  them  for  the  first  time;  they 
are  so  big  and  heavy  compared  with  our  small  light  coaches, 
and  your  engines  look  so  grand  and  imposing  with  their  big 
cowcatchers  in  front  and  the  bells  make  such  a  noise  through 
the  night  at  the  crossings.  It  was  funny  the  day  I  left 
Montreal.  The  bell  started  to  ring  just  before  the  train 
began  to  move  and  there  was  an  Irishman  sitting  next  to 
me  who  thought  that  it  was  a  firebell.  'Let's  go  out  and 
see  where  the  fire  is/  he  cried  to  me  in  great  excitement. 
'Mebbe  it's  the  blissid  station  goin'  up  in  smoke.'  " 

Alistair  simulated  the  brogue  of  the  excited  Irishman  with 
much  animation  but  not  the  faintest  glimmer  of  a  smile 
lightened  the  boy's  face.  What  was  he  to  talk  about  that 
would  charm  him  out  of  his  sullenness.  His  whole  attitude 
expressed  juvenile  boredom  and  disgust. 

"I  come  from  the  city  of  Edinburgh,"  Alistair  began,  trying 
another  tack.  "I  suppose  you've  heard  about  Edinburgh, 
the  city  you  know  that  has  the  old  castle  perched  upon  a 
lofty  rock  overlooking  its  principal  street.  It's  a  grand  old 
town  and  has  such  an  interesting  history." 

Alistair  thought  that  he  could  just  detect  the  faintest 
flicker  of  attention  in  the  little  face  before  him  although  the 
eyes  were  still  downcast  and  the  features  expressionless. 

"There  are  Highland  regiments  in  the  castle  and  every 
day  they  drill  in  the  barrack  yard  and  often  march  down 
into  the  city  with  the  band  of  pipers  at  their  head  and  all 
the  little  boys  run  after  them  enjoying  the  sight. 

"Yes,"  went  on  Alistair,  "I  could  tell  you  some  fine 
stories  of  the  old  castle,  things  that  happened  hundreds  of 
years  ago,  if  I  thought  you  would  like  to  hear  them,"  and  he 
waited  for  a  reply  but  none  was  forthcoming,  although  just 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  71 

for  a  flickering  instant  the  eyes  were  turned  toward  him 
and  then  just  as  quickly  turned  away  again. 

"  I  sometimes  tell  them  to  a  little  cousin  of  mine  who  is 
just  about  your  age — but  the  poor  youngster  is  a  cripple 
and  has  to  lie  on  a  couch  most  of  the  time — so  I  have  to 
try  and  cheer  him  up  when  the  pain  of  his  poor  little 
leg  has  been  especially  bad.  The  one  that  is  his  favourite 
of  them  all  is  called  'The  Black  Dinner/  and  is  about  a 
boy  earl  who  was  killed  with  his  younger  brother  in  the 
castle  by  a  very  terrible  and  cruel  treachery.  I  sometimes 
tell  my  little  cousin — Fred  is  his  name — that  he  ought  to  have 
something  more  cheerful,  but  he  says  he  likes  the  sad  stories 
and  so  I  have  to  tell  it  to  him." 

Herb's  eyes  were  now  turned  towards  Alistair  and  there 
was  something  in  them  that  encouraged  him  to  go  on,  al- 
though the  boy  did  not  speak. 

"It  was  when  the  king  of  Scotland,  too,  was  only  a  boy — 
he  was  just  ten  years  old  when  this  happened — and  his 
kingdom  was  in  a  very  wild  and  lawless  state.  The  family 
that  had  given  the  greatest  trouble  to  the  realm  was  that 
of  the  great  earls  of  Douglas,  and  the  Earl  at  this  time 
was  only  a  boy  of  sixteen.  The  two  regents,  Sir  William 
Crichton  and  Sir  Alexander  Livingstone  whose  duty  it  was 
to  govern  for  the  boy  king  till  he  came  of  age,  were  very 
jealous  of  this  family  of  the  Douglas  and  although  the 
head  of  it  was  then  so  young,  they  feared  that  before  long 
he  would  be  making  trouble  for  the  king  and  for  them- 
selves. So  they  thought  that  it  would  be  a  good  thing  to 
get  the  young  earl  and  his  brother  put  out  of  the  way  and 
they  invited  them  to  visit  them  at  the  Castle,  flattering  them 
by  saying  that  they  wanted  their  help  in  'advising  for  the 
good  of  the  realm.'  Friends  warned  the  youth  that  he  was 
taking  a  risk  in  trusting  to  the  friendship  of  these  enemies 
of  his  house  but  he  refused  to  consider  any  possibility  of 
treachery.  Then  they  pleaded  with  him  that  at  least  he 
would  leave  his  younger  brother  at  home  and  not  place 
all  the  hope  of  his  house  in  the  king's  power.  But  the  boy 
would  not  be  guided  by  their  advice  and  refused  to  believe 


72  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

that  danger  was  possible  where  he  was  invited  on  a  friendly 
visit,  so  one  fine  day  he  and  his  brother  David  with  a  few 
gallant  followers  rode  up  the  driveway  to  the  castle  never  to 
come  down  again. 

"At  first,  they  were  received  with  the  greatest  kindness 
by  the  two  regents ;  and  the  young  king  and  the  three  boys 
played  happily  together  before  they  went  into  the  great 
banqueting  hall  to  the  sumptuous  feast  that  had  been  ar- 
ranged. The  laugh  and  jest  went  round  and  everybody 
appeared  to  be  merry.  There  was  no  sign  of  anything 
but  the  greatest  friendliness  when  suddenly  Crichton  arose 
to  his  feet  and  began  to  upbraid  the  boy  earl  for  the 
wrongdoings  of  his  house.  At  the  same  time,  a  black  bull's 
head,  which  in  Scotland  is  the  symbol  of  death,  was  carried 
by  a  servant  down  the  long  hall  and  laid  on  the  table  right  in 
front  of  the  boy-earl. 

"In  an  instant,  he  knew  what  it  meant  and  sprang  to  his 
feet.  In  spite  of  his  struggles,  however,  he  and  his  brother 
were  quickly  overpowered  and  bound  and  dragged  away. 
The  little  king,  sitting  at  the  head  of  the  table,  was  horrified. 
He  cried  and  pleaded  with  the  regents  that  they  would  have 
mercy,  but  it  was  no  use. 

"  'Either  you  or  they  must  die,'  said  Crichton,  'for  the 
kingdom  of  Scotland  cannot  hold  both  a  Stuart  and  a 
Douglas.'  " 

"And  were  the  two  boys  both  killed?"  Herb  asked 
breathlessly,  his  sullenness  forgotten  in  the  interest  of  the 
story. 

"Yes,"  said  Alistair  delighted  to  see  that  he  had  broken 
the  ice.  "They  were  put  through  the  form  of  a  trial  at 
which  the  child-king  was  forced  to  preside  and  were  con- 
demned. Then  they  were  taken  out  into  the  courtyard  and 
beheaded.  It  was  a  disgraceful  act  and  the  foul  treachery 
of  it  cannot  be  excused." 

"The  poor  little  king  must  have  felt  bad  about  it,"  said 
Herb,  his  eyes  shining.  "Gee,  that  boy-earl  must  ha'  felt 
mighty  scared  when  they  carried  in  the  black  bull's-head," 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  73 

and  he  gave  a  slight  shudder  and  glanced  over  his  shoulder  a 
little  fearfully. 

Then  he  jumped  to  his  feet  with  a  sharp  exclamation  of 
fright  and  his  face  turned  white  in  the  lamplight. 

"I  thought  I  saw  a  man's  head  lookin'  in  the  window,"  he 
said  in  answer  to  Alistair's  look  of  astonishment. 

Alistair  jumped  quickly  to  his  feet  to  follow  the  boy's 
frightened  gaze  and  as  he  did  so,  the  door  was  thrust  vio- 
lently open  and  three  masked  men  strode  into  the  room. 


CHAPTER  XI 

HANDS  up,"  said  the  foremost  of  the  masked  intrud- 
ers as  he  levelled  a  revolver  at  Alistair.  The  other 
made  a  grab  at  Herb,  who  had  attempted  to  dive  to  the  door 
at  the  back.  He  was  not  quick  enough,  however,  for  he 
was  clutched  in  a  grasp  of  iron  and  dragged  squirming 
and  fighting  back  to  the  middle  of  the  room  where  he  was 
fain  to  be  still  under  the  compelling  grip  of  his  captor. 

Alistair  demurred  for  a  moment  but  at  a  threatening 
motion  of  the  pistol,  he  reluctantly  raised  his  hands  above 
his  head.  For  a  moment,  he  felt  sick  with  the  terror  and  sud- 
denness of  the  danger,  while  his  heart  seemed  to  stop  beat- 
ing and  there  was  a  horrible  sensation  at  the  back  of  his 
throat.  He  was  relieved  when  after  a  terrible  moment  or 
two  of  silence  the  man  spoke,  his  words  coming  out  in  a 
gruff,  throaty  way  as  if  he  was  trying  to  disguise  his  voice 
as  much  as  possible. 

"You've  got  to  come  with  us,  partner,"  he  was  saying, 
"an'  the  quieter  you  come,  the  better  off  you'll  be.  This 
ain't  a  very  healthy  locality  for  you  we're  thinkin'  an'  we're 
goin'  to  see  you  out  of  it,  see?  Better  not  tempt  this  gun 
o'  mine  to  go  off  which  it  might  do  accidentally,  y'  know, 
so  keep  these  hands  up." 

"Oh,  you  ain't  goin'  to  hurt  him,  are  you?"  said  Herb, 
bursting  into  tears,  forgetting  himself  in  Alistair 's  danger 
as  the  stranger  waggled  his  revolver  significantly.  The  action 
appeared  all  the  more  sinister  on  account  of  the  terrifying 
effect  of  the  black  mask  with  its  eyeholes  disclosing  a  pair 
of  fierce  eyes  that  glared  ominously  upon  the  threatened 
man. 

"Shut  up,  sonny,"  said  the  other  man:  "you  needn't  get 
scared.  We  ain't  goin'  to  hurt  you,  nor  him  either  if  he 
behaves  himself,  only  to  teach  'im  a  lesson  that's  all." 

74 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  75 

"Tie  the  kid  up  an'  let's  be  goin',"  said  the  other.  The 
second  man  acting  on  the  suggestion,  drew  a  strong  cord 
from  his  pocket  and  after  tying  the  boy's  hands  behind  his 
back,  he  forced  him  into  a  chair.  With  the  rest  of  the  cord 
he  bound  him  to  it  firmly  with  several  turns  first  around  his 
body  then,  to  make  additionally  secure,  he  took  a  turn  round 
his  ankles  and  also  made  them  fast.  "Youngsters  like  you 
are  mighty  wiggly,"  he  said,  "and  I  ain't  goin'  to  take  no 
chances.  It  won't  be  long  before  your  brother'll  be  back 
and  turn  you  loose,"  he  muttered.    "Now  then  for  the  next." 

With  another  piece  of  cord  the  two  men  then  tied  Ali- 
stair's  hands  in  front  of  him.  Forcing  him  to  do  their 
bidding  under  the  menace  of  the  pistol,  they  hustled  him 
roughly  before  them  and  conducted  him  outside.  Before 
doing  so,  however,  the  bigger  of  the  two  men  forced  a  piece 
of  cloth  into  his  mouth  so  as  to  gag  him  effectually ;  and  then 
they  did  the  same  to  the  boy,  fearing  that  if  they  did 
not,  he  would  awaken  his  little  brother  and  sister  to  come 
to  his  assistance.  Outside  the  door,  one  of  the  men  put  his 
hand  into  Alistair's  coat  and  took  his  pocket-book.  A  little 
distance  from  the  house,  they  came  upon  another  masked 
man  sitting  on  horseback  and  holding  three  horses,  on  one 
of  which  Alistair  was  forced  to  mount.  The  operation  was 
a  slightly  difficult  one  on  account  of  his  hands  being  tied. 
Both  men  then  mounted  and  one  of  them  leading  Alistair's 
horse  by  the  bridle,  they  set  off  at  a  slow  trot,  two  by  two, 
Alistair  being  in  the  rearmost  couple.  The  two  in  front 
conversed  in  a  low  tone  but  too  low  for  Alistair  to  hear 
above  the  noise  of  the  wind  in  the  trees. 

The  moon  had  gone  behind  a  bank  of  dark  clouds.  The 
night  was  now  rather  dark,  and  it  had  stopped  raining.  The 
road  was  rough  and  muddy  and  the  horses  stumbled  fre- 
quently as  they  trotted  along.  For  a  time,  Alistair,  who 
had  never  ridden  a  horse  with  his  hands  tied  before,  had 
to  watch  closely  to  avoid  losing  his  seat.  Never  having 
ridden  anything  but  an  English  saddle  he  felt  very  strange 
sitting  in  the  stock  saddle  with  which  his  horse  was 
equipped,  with  its  high  pommel  and  wide  wooden  stirrups. 


76  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

After  a  little  they  came  out  of  the  wood  into  the  main 
road  and  then  the  going  was  much  easier  and  smoother  so 
that  he  was  able  to  let  his  thoughts  turn  to  his  position  and 
to  speculate  as  to  what  was  to  be  the  outcome. 

He  had  gathered  from  the  few  words  his  captors  had 
let  fall  that  he  was  in  the  hands  of  a  sort  of  moonlighting 
committee  who  were  making  it  their  business  to  scare  him 
out  of  the  country  on  account  of  the  errand  on  which  he 
had  come;  and  he  was  at  a  loss  to  know  whether  or  not 
he  was  likely  to  meet  with  further  violence  from  them. 
Would  they  take  him  a  certain  distance  and  then  turn  him 
loose,  or  would  they  punish  him  still  more? 

He  was  puzzled,  too,  by  the  fact  that  the  man  had 
robbed  him  of  his  pocket-book;  and  he  wondered  if  perhaps 
the  real  motive  was  plain  robbery  after  all. 

They  had  turned  to  the  left  when  they  emerged  from 
the  side  road  and  were  now  proceeding  at  a  slow  half  canter 
back  along  the  road  over  which  he  had  come  by  the  stage. 
On  their  right,  the  lake,  lashed  out  of  its  usual  calm  by  the 
gale,  chafed  loudly  against  its  banks.  Once  quite  near  them, 
a  great  tree  fell  with  a  loud  crashing  sound  like  a  great  clap 
of  thunder. 

Soon  they  had  passed  by  the  lake  and  were  into  the 
midst  of  heavy  woods  where  the  road  was  much  worse. 
Here  the  horses  could  only  proceed  at  a  walk,  their  feet 
sinking  away  down  into  the  spongy  mud  and  coming  up 
again  with  a  sound  like  the  popping  of  corks.  Up  and  down 
hill  the  road  went  and  for  the  young  man  with  his  hands 
tied  and  with  no  chance  to  save  himself  if  his  horse  should 
fall,  the  experience  was  anything  but  pleasant.  The  animal 
he  rode,  too,  seemed  to  be  an  inveterate  stumbler,  and  many 
a  time  did  the  man  beside  him  swear  at  it.  Alistair  was 
unable  to  beg  them  to  untie  his  hands  as  he  would  have 
done  had  he  not  been  gagged,  and  he  felt  his  helplessness 
very  keenly. 

Only  once  did  they  meet  anyone.  This  was  at  the  top  of 
a  long  hill  when  all  at  once,  the  two  men  in  front  pulled  up 
quickly  and  another  figure  on  horseback  appeared  out  of 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  77 

the  darkness.  "Hallo,  who's  this  ?"  it  cried :  but  the  others 
spurred  quickly  past,  the  man  beside  Alistair  cutting  his 
horse  swiftly  on  the  flank  with  his  quirt. 

"That  was  Charlie,  eh,  boys?"  one  of  the  men  said  and 
the  man  behind  assented. 

"I  guess  so,"  he  said.  "We  don't  have  nothin'  to  say 
to  him  to-night,  do  we  ?"  and  he  laughed.  "Let's  get  a  move 
on,"  and  the  pace  was  greatly  increased. 

At  the  faster  gait  Alistair's  horse  stumbled  more  than 
ever  but  the  man  beside  him  seemed  to  have  no  mercy.  He 
lashed  it  from  behind  with  his  quirt,  the  poor  brute  lung- 
ing each  time  in  a  way  that  made  it  very  trying  for  the 
rider.  At  last,  in  descending  a  steep  hill,  it  stumbled  over 
something  on  the  road  and  went  down  on  its  knees.  Alistair 
was  thrown  over  its  head  and  landed  on  his  face  and  shoulder 
in  the  soft  mud  of  the  road. 

For  a  moment  he  lay  half -stunned,  but  he  was  in  no  hurry 
to  move  even  if  he  had  felt  able.  One  of  the  men  was 
quickly  down  on  his  knees  beside  him  and  lighted  a  match 
to  see  how  far  he  might  be  injured. 

"Oh,  he  ain't  much  hurt,  I  guess,"  he  said  to  the  other. 
"It'll  do  him  good  I'm  thinkin'." 

The  third  man,  who  throughout  the  ride  had  never  spoken 
a  word,  had  dismounted,  too,  and  was  looking  down  with 
some  concern  at  the  prostrate  figure.  He  was  slighter  in 
build  though  just  as  tall  as  the  other  two. 

"He  isn't  killed,  is  he?"  he  asked  anxiously.  "I  wish  we 
had  let  him  alone,"  he  said;  and  to  Alistair's  ears  the  ac- 
cents sounded  familiar.  Where  had  he  heard  the  voice  be- 
fore? His  mind  was  in  a  whirl  and  he  could  not  think  very 
clearly ;  but  he  waited  to  hear  what  else  might  be  said.  He 
was  in  hopes  that  they  might  now  turn  him  free;  and  he 
was  not  disappointed. 

"I  guess  we've  done  enough  now ;  I  hope  we  haven't  done 
too  much.  You  don't  think  he's  hurt  badly,  do  you?"  the 
same  voice  asked  again.  "I'll  get  some  water  out  of  a  ditch 
here  and  that'll  fetch  him  to." 

The  next  thing  Alistair  knew  he  was  being  soused  in  the 


78  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

face  with  a  hatful  of  water;  and  he  decided  he  had  better 
come  to  if  he  did  not  want  to  be  drenched.  He  groaned 
and  sat  up  feeling  very  sick  and  faint.  Then  he  felt  his 
gag  being  removed  and  a  flask  of  whisky  was  placed  to  his 
lips.  When  he  had  taken  a  mouthful  he  felt  better  and  was 
able  to  rise  to  his  feet.  Then  the  cord  binding  his  wrists 
was  cut. 

"Now  buck  up,  my  boy,"  said  the  man.  "We'll  let  you 
go  now.  You're  only  four  miles  from  the  Garston  Hotel 
so  you  can  hoof  it  down  there  as  fast  as  you  like.  But  I 
wouldn't  come  back  to  these  parts  again.  They  ain't  healthy 
for  the  likes  o'  you  especially  when  ye  come  round  to  do 
dirty  work.  The  boys  don't  stand  for  no  nonsense  round 
them  parts  so  if  I  was  you,  I'd  be  off  on  the  first  train.  We 
didn't  mean  to  have  you  throwed,  but  I  guess  you  ain't 
hurt  much  after  all.  Count  yourself  might  lucky  we  didn't 
string  you  up  to  a  cottonwood  tree,  what  has  happened  to 
many  a  man  that  made  himself  unpopular  in  a  cattle  coun- 
try." 

Without  another  word,  he  put  the  reins  up  over  his 
horse's  head  and  quickly  mounted.  Then  the  three,  wheel- 
ing their  horses,  rode  off  at  a  smart  canter  in  the  direction 
that  they  had  come.  Alistair  was  left  alone  listening  to  the 
sound  of  the  receding  hoofbeats  which  was  soon  lost  in 
the  insistent  chorus  of  the  frogs  that  were  making  the 
night  vocal  all  around  him. 

What  were  his  feelings  as,  bruised  and  stiff  from  his 
fall,  his  cheek  and  temple  smarting  excruciatingly  and 
covered  with  mud  which  was  plastered  all  over  him,  his 
wrists  still  sore  from  the  chafing  of  his  late  bonds  and 
his  mouth  and  tongue  numb  and  aching  from  the  pressure 
of  the  gag,  he  limped  slowly  down  the  hill?  Not  very 
pleasant  to  be  sure,  notwithstanding  the  relief  that  he  felt 
to  be  out  of  the  hands  of  his  tormentors.  Mingled  with  this 
there  was  the  keen  sense  of  personal  humiliation  from  the 
treatment  he  had  undergone  as  well  as  the  bitter  acknowl- 
edgment of  defeat  in  his  mission.    He  was  but  twenty-two, 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  79 

and  youth,  which  has  yet  to  taste  the  bufferings  of  life's 
hurley-burley,  is  apt  to  take  its  first  ones  hardly. 

One  consolation  he  had  now  that  after  this  experience,  he 
would  not  have  the  same  compunction  about  setting  the 
machinery  of  the  law  in  motion  to  realise  on  the  mortgages. 
The  other  side  had  first  declared  war  and  on  their  head  be 
it  if  the  consequences  were  not  to  their  liking.  If  the  cow- 
boy toughs  of  the  neighbourhood  egged  on,  no  doubt,  by  their 
employers,  thought  that  by  this  act  of  intimidation  they 
could  frighten  him  away  from  the  district,  they  had  ap- 
praised him  wrongly.  They  had  thrown  down  the  glove 
and  he  would  not  hesitate  to  pick  it  up. 

It  was  a  long,  weary,  four  miles,  but  he  covered  it  and 
the  lights  of  the  railway  station  at  last  appeared  in  sight. 
Fortunately,  there  was  no  one  around  but  the  old  deaf  land- 
lord when  he  entered  the  hotel  door. 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE  morning  after  Alistair's  adventure,  Lorraine  arose 
with  a  deep  sense  of  heaviness  at  her  heart  and  went 
downstairs  to  get  breakfast  with  Olney  and  Ted  who  were 
to  make  an  early  start  to  Kamloops.  She  had  spent  a 
wakeful  night  her  mind  filled  with  anxious  thoughts  and 
evil  forebodings.  What  with  her  father's  critical  state  and 
this  new  calamity  of  the  seizure  of  their  stock  impending, 
the  future  looked  very  dark  indeed.  Again  and  again,  she 
recalled  Thibault's  advice  that  they  should  still  make  it  up 
with  the  young  Britisher  and  let  him  stay  at  the  ranch. 

Until  the  last  few  months,  life  for  her  had  been  very 
sunny  and  she  had  never  known  anything  of  its  cloudy  side. 
In  the  community  in  which  she  lived,  her  family  enjoyed 
considerable  social  prestige  not  only  for  the  extent  of  its 
holdings  in  land  and  cattle  but  because  of  her  father's  per- 
sonality and  leadership  in  local  undertakings.  At  boarding- 
school  in  Victoria,  other  girls  had  envied  her  for  her  beauti- 
ful country  home  and  for  her  horsemanship  and  cleverness 
in  everything  pertaining  to  country  life.  She  was  sought 
after  and  deferred  to  by  the  young  men  at  all  the  dances 
and  parties  that  took  place  in  the  district. 

It  was  small  wonder  then  that  a  spirit  so  untried  should 
prove  rebellious  under  Fortune's  frown ;  and  the  attitude  of 
Lorraine  under  this  latest  impending  stroke  of  the  rod  was 
rather  defiant  than  conciliatory.  That  such  a  crushing  hu- 
miliation as  was  threatened  should  come  upon  her  family 
seemed  at  the  best  an  unwarrantable  mistake  on  the  part 
of  Providence,  and  she  was  strongly  inclined  to  voice  the 
spoilt  child's  formula  of  "I  don't  care,"  and  tell  Fate  to  do 
its  worst.  Had  she  only  had  herself  to  consider,  it  would 
have  been  different;  but  she  thought  of  her  father,  lying 
upstairs  helpless,  and  she  felt  that,  for  his  sake,  at  least, 

80 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  81 

it  was  necessary  to  temporise  with  and  propitiate  the  enemy 
if  it  was  possible  to  do  so  at  all.  So  at  the  breakfast  table 
she  opened  up  at  once  on  the  subject. 

"I've  been  thinking  it  over  all  night,"  the  girl  began 
impulsively  and  with  just  a  trace  of  diffidence,  "and  I  think 
that  v/e  were  wrong  in  not  agreeing  to  let  Mr.  Kilgour  come 
here  as  he  wanted  to.  I  think  Mr.  Thibault  was  right  and 
that  we  ought  to  try  to  find  him  this  morning  and  persuade 
him  to  come  back.  It  will  break  Father's  heart  if  he  gets 
better  and  finds  out  that  the  stock  has  been  sold  out  by  the 
sheriff." 

"Yes,  I  think  that  is  true,"  Miss  Paget  assented.  "After 
all  the  young  man  is  not  an  ogre — indeed,  to  tell  the  truth,  I 
was  rather  favourably  impressed  with  him.  It  won't  do 
us  any  harm  to  have  him  around  for  a  little." 

"I  think  that  he  is  insufferable,"  Lorraine  put  in  quickly 
with  a  flush,  "but  I  am  willing  to  put  up  with  him  for 
Father's  sake.  I  should  just  hate  to  be  in  his  power  though. 
Of  course,  we  are  that  now,  I  suppose,  as  far  as  our  prop- 
erty is  concerned  but  that  is  all,  thank  goodness.  We  can 
send  him  to  the  right-about  if  he  gets  too  uppish  and  un- 
bearable or  as  soon  as  we  get  the  mortgage  paid." 

"Auntie  thinks  that  he  must  be  all  right  because  he  is 
good-looking,"  said  Olney  with  a  smile,  "but  I  am  afraid 
that  it's  too  late  to  invite  him  back  here,"  and  his  face  re- 
lapsed into  its  former  state  of  sulky  gloom. 

"How?"  asked  Lorraine  quickly.  "Has  he  gone  away  al- 
ready ?    The  stage  doesn't  go  until  noon." 

Olney  looked  at  her  queerly  before  answering.  Then  he 
laughed  a  trifle  grimly. 

"Oh,  he  didn't  need  any  stage.  Some  of  the  boys  took 
him  away  at  the  end  of  a  rope ;  at  least  so  they  were  saying 
round  the  corral  this  morning." 

"You  don't  mean  they  hanged  him?"  cried  Lorraine 
anxiously  turning  pale. 

"Why  not?"  said  Olney  in  his  ill-humour  not  averse  to 
keeping  her  in  suspense.  "Oh,  we're  a  wild  lot  at  Duck 
Lake,  we  are.     Why  shouldn't  we  hang  a  chap  like  that 


82  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

who  comes  poking  his  nose  where  he's  not  wanted?     It'd 
be  all  he  deserves,  wouldn't  it?" 

"Oh,  you're  joking,  Olney,  please  say  you're  joking. 
They  never  went  and  did  that,  did  they?"  and  she  looked 
from  him  to  Ted,  her  eyes  wide  with  dismay. 

"Ask  Ted,  then,"  said  Olney. 

The  latter  with  a  muttered  imprecation  rose  hurriedly 
from  the  table  and  pushed  his  plate  back. 

"No,  of  course,  they  didn't,"  he  said.  "What's  the  good 
of  scaring  her  that  way.  Some  people  never  have  sense 
enough  to  keep  their  mouths  shut,"  and  he  walked  from  the 
room  after  casting  a  glare  of  anger  on  his  cousin. 

"No,  they  didn't  hang  him,  true  enough,"  Olney  hastened 
to  say;  "but  I  guess  that  they  pretty  nigh  scared  him  to 
death  and  then  broke  his  head  for  him.  Served  him  jolly 
well  right  too.  I  guess  he'll  not  come  back  again  in  a  hurry 
although  he'll  send  somebody  else  to  do  his  dirty  work.  We 
shall  be  hearing  from  him  soon  enough,  I  reckon ;  and  the 
quicker  Ted  and  I  get  to  Kamloops  and  try  to  raise  that 
money,  the  better  if  we  don't  want  everything  sold  over  our 
heads." 

"Tell  me  just  what  happened,  Olney?"  said  Lorraine. 

"Well,  it  seems  he  was  staying  with  Jimmy  intending  to 
go  down  with  him  to-day,  and  last  night  when  Jimmy  and 
his  mother  were  away — she  was  called  to  Sam  Hartney's 
wife  who's  down  with  pneumonia — three  masked  men  went 
to  the  place  and  held  up  his  lordship  at  the  point  of  a 
gun.  They  tied  little  Herb  to  a  chair  and  then  took  the 
chap  away.  Charlie  Bertolani  met  four  men  riding  down 
towards  Garston  about  ten  o'clock  and  although  he  hollered 
to  them  they  would  not  answer.  Anyway,  Kilgour  arrived 
on  foot  at  Humpty's  about  midnight  with  his  face  all  cut  and 
bleeding  and  just  about  all  in.  The  station  agent  was  tele- 
phoning the  store  about  some  feed  and  he  told  Tim  White. 
Of  course,  Kilgour  will  blame  it  on  us  so  the  fat's  in  the 
fire  now.  But  I've  got  to  get  away.  We  should  have  been 
on  the  road  an  hour  ago." 

He  rose  hastily  and  strode  from  the  room  while  Miss 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  83 

Paget  and   Lorraine  sat  looking  at  each  other   in   dismay. 

"The  fools!  They  must  have  been  mad."  said  Lorraine. 
"Who  could  have  done  it  ?" 

"I  would  not  have  believed  it  of  any  of  our  men,"  said 
Miss  Paget.  "Whoever  did  it  must  have  been  drunk.  It 
is  certainly  a  great  pity.  He  is  sure  to  think  that  we  had 
some  part  in  putting  the  men  up  to  it.  But  there,  do  not 
worry,  my  dear,"  she  said,  taking  pity  on  Lorraine's  face 
of  despair.  "It  will  all  come  right  and,  no  doubt,  the  boys 
will  be  able  to  arrange  for  the  money  we  need  in  Kam- 
loops.  Go  up  now  and  see  how  your  father  is  getting 
along." 

Lorraine  had  been  very  busy  all  forenoon  and  well  into 
the  afternoon.  About  four  o'clock,  however,  Miss  Paget 
insisted  that  she  should  go  for  a  ride  so  she  saddled  Pronto 
and  set  out  for  Mrs.  Appleby's.  She  found  the  good  lady 
in  a  great  state  of  excitement  and  indignation.  To  come 
home  about  midnight — for  the  doctor  had  brought  a  profes- 
sional nurse  out  with  him  from  town  and  she  had  not  there- 
fore been  required  to  stay — and  find  her  boy  gagged  and 
bound  to  a  chair  and  her  guest  spirited  away  by  force  was 
a  shock  that  even  to  her  bluff  and  vigorous  good  nature, 
was  a  severe  one.  She  considered  the  hospitality  of  her 
house  had  been  outraged  and  she  did  not  spare  to  give  full 
vent  to  her  opinions  of  those  who  were  responsible  for  it. 
Fortunately,  although  badly  frightened,  Herb  was  no  worse 
for  the  affair.  Indeed,  he  was  inclined  to  be  proud  of  him- 
self and  went  joyfully  forth  to  school  prepared  to  pose  as 
the  hero  of  a  very  terrible  affair. 

Mrs.  Appleby  said  she  had  her  suspicions  as  to  who  were 
the  men  who  had  taken  part  in  it;  but  she  refused  to 
name  any  names.  She  made  it  quite  clear,  however,  that 
she  would  never  suspect  that  the  De  Roches  themselves 
would  lend  their  countenance  to  it.  The  young  man,  she 
admitted,  had  impressed  her  rather  favourably  in  spite  of 
her  prejudice  against  him  on  account  of  his  mission.  She 
told  Lorraine  how  the  boys  had  nearly  tried  to  put  himj 


84  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

off  the  premises  and  how  she  had  interfered  when  a  hand 
to  hand  struggle  seemed  to  be  imminent. 

After  she  had  partaken  of  a  cup  of  tea  and  some  scones 
and  honey,  Lorraine  started  on  her  homeward  way  con- 
siderably cheered  and  refreshed.  It  appeared  that  no  seri- 
ous harm  had  come  to  Mr.  Kilgour  according  to  the  news 
that  had  come  over  the  telephone  from  Garston.  In  spite 
of  all  the  evil  consequences  which  the  occurrence  might  have 
in  urging  him  to  extremities  in  reference  to  the  mortgage, 
she  felt  a  sneaking  satisfaction  in  the  thought  that  he  had 
been  so  quickly  and  ignominiously  punished  for  his  insolence. 

She  was  riding  along  slowly  at  a  walk  with  the  reins 
loose  and  her  horse's  head  hanging  down.  All  at  once,  at 
a  turn  in  the  leafy  lane  she  came  full  upon  the  subject  of 
her  thoughts  mounted  on  a  big  sorrel  horse  which  was  mov- 
ing at  a  swift  trot.  The  rider  reined  up  quickly  to  avoid  a 
collision  and  the  big  horse  under  the  sudden  pressure  of  the 
curb  turned  himself  broadside  on  in  the  pathway  for  a 
moment  blocking  it  completely. 

Alistair  gravely  lifted  his  hat  and  having  got  his  horse 
back  into  proper  alignment  was  about  to  pass  on.  He  was 
somewhat  perturbed  at  this  sudden  encounter  and  his  im- 
pulse was  to  get  away  as  soon  as  possible  from  its  embarrass- 
ment. His  head  and  the  side  of  his  face  had  been  dressed 
by  a  surgeon  in  Kamloops  and  while  the  pain  was  now  much 
alleviated,  he  was  somewhat  sensitive  to  the  appearance 
which  he  presented  with  his  decoration  of  sticking  plaster 
and  lint.  Moreover,  his  self-love  was  smarting  far  more 
than  his  broken  head  from  the  humiliation  he  had  undergone 
and  he  had  come  back  determined  to  wreak  punishment  on 
the  offenders.  In  this  way,  he  hoped  to  restore,  in  part,  at 
least,  his  good  opinion  of  himself. 

After  the  first  gasp  of  astonishment  at  seeing  him  again, 
Lorraine's  embarrassment,  which  was  almost  as  great  as 
Alistair's,  instead  of  keeping  her  silent,  prompted  her  to 
speak. 

"So  you  have  come  back  again  after  all,"  she  said,  and  was 
disgusted  with  herself  as  soon  as  the  words  were  out  of  her 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  85 

mouth.  She  felt  that  she  must  have  a  few  words  with  him 
at  least  and  this  might  clear  the  atmosphere  and  help  to 
put  things  upon  a  better  footing;  but  as  she  thought  of  the 
foolishness  of  such  a  remark  under  the  circumstances,  she 
blushed  painfully.  As  she  looked  at  his  bandaged  head  and 
noted  the  stern  pallor  of  his  face  and  its  weary,  drawn 
look,  it  struck  her  what  he  must  think  of  such  a  question 
coming  from  herself. 

"Yes,  I'm  back,  you  see,  in  spite  of  your  friends.  As 
the  poet  says :  'My  head  is  bloody  but  unbowed.'  The  next 
time  that  they  honour  me  with  their  attentions,  I  hope  that 
I  shall  be  more  ready  for  them  than  I  was  last  night." 

He  was  smiling  but  it  was  a  smile  of  bitterness  rather 
than  of  mirth. 

"I  suppose  you  mean  the  men  who — who  held  you  up," 
said  Lorraine,  anger  coming  to  the  rescue  of  her  pride  which 
might  have  capitulated  under  the  pressure  of  her  self- 
reproach.  "You  have  no  right  to  call  them  my  friends,  sir, 
and  you  have  no  right  to  connect  us  with  them  at  all.  We 
would  never  have  countenanced  such  a  thing.  We  are 
not  to  be  held  responsible  for  the  wild  acts  of  any  drunken 
cowboys  that  are  out  for  a  lark  or  for  the  mad  things  they 
may  do."  4 

"Oh,  but  I  think  you  are  to  be  held  responsible,  when 
these  same  drunken  cowboys'  acts  carry  out  the  very  threats 
that  your  cousin  hinted  at  when  he  ordered  me  out  of  your 
house  yesterday  afternoon."  Alistair's  momentary  embar- 
rassment had  left  him.  Lorraine's  eyes  fell  before  his 
stern  gaze  and  she  began  to  play  nervously  with  the  end  of 
her  horse's  mane  where  it  met  the  pommel  of  the  saddle.  "It 
is  always  a  dangerous  thing  to  threaten,  you  might  tell  your 
cousin  when  you  see  him.  Many  a  man  has  been  hanged  be- 
cause he  did  so,  who  might  never  have  been  convicted  with- 
out it." 

"My  cousin  was  not  the  only  one  who  threatened,  Mr. 
Kilgour,"  retorted  Lorraine,  wincing  under  the  sting  of  his 
sarcasm.     "You  may  recall  that  you  took  the  last  word — 


86  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

usually  a  woman's  privilege — so  they  say,  at  least — by  threat- 
ening to  make  it  as  unpleasant  as  you  could  for  us." 

"Then,  by  all  means,  let  the  privilege  be  yours  this  time, 
Miss  De  Roche,"  said  Alistair  quickly,  lifting  his  hat.  Then 
as  his  horse  swung  round  to  the  pressure  of  his  heel,  in 
another  instant  he  had  passed  and  was  riding  slowly  down 
through  the  trees  leaving  the  girl  dumfounded  and  furious. 

She  watched  him  until  he  disappeared,  and  then,  turning 
Pronto's  head  homeward,  she  humped  herself  forward  on  the 
saddle  and  burst  into  tears. 

After  leaving  Miss  De  Roche  so  cavalierly,  Alistair  rode 
on  somewhat  ruffled  in  temper  although  he  felt  that  in  the 
brief  passage  of  arms  he  had  not  come  off  second  best. 

"Little  spitfire !"  he  said  to  himself.  "In  the  old  country 
she  would  be  still  in  the  nursery  almost  and  yet  she  had  the 
impudence  to  fly  at  me  like  a  wildcat,  when  I  taxed  her 
people  with  egging  these  men  on  to  the  business  of  last 
night.  She  may  be  a  little  tamer  yet  though  before  I  am 
through  with  her." 

He  had  had  a  hard  day  and  was  far  from  amiable.  In 
the  morning  he  had  arisen  early,  being  unable  to  sleep  from 
the  pain  of  his  bruises,  and  caught  the  train  and  gone  to 
Kamloops  which  was  about  nine  miles  from  Garston.  Here 
he  had  had  his  wounds  properly  dressed  and  then  called 
upon  a  firm  of  solicitors  which  Bancroft  and  Atherton  had 
recommended  to  him  in  their  wire,  which  he  had  been  able 
to  get  from  the  office  there.  With  them  he  discussed  the 
whole  status  of  his  investment.  Finally,  he  had  instructed 
them  to  commence  distress  proceedings  on  the  chattel 
mortgage  in  the  course  of  a  day  or  two  if  they  did  not  hear 
from  him  to  the  contrary.  While  he  had  at  first  been  of  a 
mind  to  take  immediate  proceedings,  on  calmer  reflection 
he  determined  that  he  would  go  back  to  the  district  again 
for  a  short  time  before  definitely  deciding. 

He  was  somewhat  doubtful  as  to  his  reception  from  Mrs. 
Appleby,  but  he  felt  that  if  she  would  take  him  in  again,  it 
would  be  better  than  looking  out  for  other  quarters. 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  87 

He  found  the  good  lady  alone,  Herb  being  at  school  and 
Jimmy  being  down  at  Garston  with  the  stage. 

"Well,  well,  Mr.  Kilgour!"  she  exclaimed,  "But  you're 
the  very  last  man  in  the  world  that  I  would  have  expected 
to  see  after  the  treatment  you've  had — an'  the  scoundrels, 
that  they  are,  they  should  be  strung  up  for  it.  As  I  said 
to  Jimmy  this  mornin'  there's  always  two  sides  to  a  question 
after  all,  an'  if  Mr.  Kilgour  has  money  out  on  Inshallah  and 
can't  get  it  in,  he's  not  to  be  blamed  if  he  comes  lookin'  after 
it.  'Give  a  dog  a  bad  name,'  says  I,  'an'  that's  what  they've 
done  with  him,  an'  I  ain't  goin'  to  believe  that  he'd  treat 
the  De  Roches  bad  till  I  see  it.  I  take  every  one  as  I  find 
them,'  ses  I,  an'  that's  a  good  gospel  to  follow,  I'm  thinkin'. 
As  for  that  Olney  Layburn,  I  don't  think  that  he's  done 
much  good  at  Inshallah  since  the  old  man  took  sick;  an' 
I'm  thinkin'  that  if  I  was  Mr.  Kilgour  and  had  money  out, 
I  would  be  watchin'  'im  pretty  close,  I  would.  He  wants 
to  marry  Miss  Lorraine,  an'  then  if  Ted  goes  to  the  bad,  as 
it  looks  mighty  likely — and  believe  me,  Olney  don't  hinder 
him  none  neither — then  he'll  have  the  ranch  to  himself  when 
old  De  Roche  is  done  with  it  an'  that  won't  be  long  now 
by  the  looks  of  things.  But  that  poor  head  of  yours  does 
look  bad.    Ain't  there  nothin'  I  could  do  for  it  ?" 

"Nothing  at  all,  thank  you,"  said  Alistair,  "I  had  it 
dressed  in  Kamloops  and  it's  feeling  all  right  again,  almost. 
But  how  is  Herb,  Mrs.  Appleby,  my  partner  in  misfortune? 
I  hope  that  he  was  none  the  worse  of  the  fright  which  he 
must  have  got." 

Mrs.  Appleby's  face  crinkled  up  with  merriment. 

"Worse,  bless  you,  not  a  bit  of  it.  He's  as  proud  as 
Punch  over  his  part  in  it,  though  he  was  awful  mad  about 
you.  He's  bringin'  the  teacher  home  with  him  to  supper  to- 
night though,  an'  I  guess  it's  time  that  I  was  gettin'  the 
batter  ready  for  the  pancakes  that  I  promised  to  have.  He 
says  Miss  Pelton's  awful  fond  of  them;  but  I  expects  that 
it's  one  word  for  her  and  two  for  himself." 

"I  want  to  know  if  I  can  board  with  you  for  a  short 
time,  Mrs.  Appleby?"  said  Alistair  when  she  paused  and 


88  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

he  saw  a  chance  to  break  in.  "I  don't  know  how  long  it  may- 
be. Perhaps  for  a  day  or  two  and  perhaps  it  may  be 
longer." 

The  good  woman  readily  consented  on  terms  that  seemed 
most  moderate,  and  then  they  talked  of  general  matters  until 
Herb's  appearance  from  the  stable,  where  he  had  been  attend- 
ing to  Alistair's  horse.  The  boy  was  elated,  at  the  same  time 
rather  awed,  by  the  occasion  of  having  his  teacher  as  his  guest. 
His  shyness  was  a  certain  protection,  for  which  Alistair  was 
thankful,  to  keep  him  from  bursting  into  the  subject  of 
the  holdup  with  too  much  enthusiasm  for  detail.  He 
answered  quite  simply  when  he  was  asked  how  he  felt  after 
it ;  and  was  perforce  satisfied  merely  to  look  his  sympathy 
for  Alistair's  bandaged  head,  which,  however,  he  regarded 
with  much  interest  and  some  awe.  He  was  wishing  that  he 
might  have  had  some  visible  injury  as  a  result  of  his  con- 
nection with  the  affair. 

Mrs.  Appleby  soon  had  the  tea  and  the  pancakes  on  the 
table,  together  with  some  cold  tongue  and  honey,  and  they 
all  sat  down  to  the  meal.  With  the  merry  chat  that  went 
around  and  the  friendly  atmosphere,  Alistair  was  soon  rid 
of  the  depression  of  the  afternoon  and  the  pain  of  his 
bruises  was  forgotten. 

He  was  interested  in  the  girl's  frank  talk  about  herself 
and  her  experiences  in  her  profession.  She  represented 
a  type  that  was  altogether  different  from  anyone  that  he 
had  ever  met  in  the  old  land. 

"Oh,  yes,"  she  said,  "I  don't  really  need  to  earn  my  living 
by  teaching  school — Father  is  quite  well  off ;  but  he  thinks 
that  every  girl  should  have  a  profession  to  fall  back  upon  so 
that  if  the  time  ever  comes  that  she  should  actually  need  it, 
then  she  would  not  be  stranded.  It's  good  experience,  too, 
I  suppose,  to  get  out  away  from  one's  family  where  one 
has  to  rely  upon  oneself. 

"I  suppose  you  have  to  board  with  one  of  the  farmers?" 
said  Alistair. 

"Yes,  one  is  usually  regarded  as  a  perquisite  of  the 
Secretary  of  the  school  trustees,  or  if  he  is  a  bachelor  and 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  89 

disqualified,  of  one  of  the  Board.  Sometimes  it  works  out 
very  well  but  at  other  times  it  doesn't.  I.  is  all  well  enough 
if  he  is  the  right  kind  of  a  man — then  one  may  be  said  to 
be  under  a  benevolent  despotism ;  but  if  he  isn't  it  becomes 
tyranny  of  the  worst  kind.  I  have  tried  both  so  I  know," 
said  Miss  Pelton,  smiling  so  as  to  show  an  engaging  dimple 
in  each  cheek  while  she  spread  some  honey  on  her  pancakes. 

"And  which  form  of  government  are  you  living  under 
now?  if  I  may  make  so  bold,"  asked  Alistair  with  a  quizzi- 
cal air  to  match  her  mood. 

"Oh,  the  benevolent  despotism  to  be  sure,"  she  replied. 

"She  lives  with  the  Thibaults,"  put  in  Mrs.  Appleby ;  "and 
they  just  think  the  world  of  her.  Their  children  all  died  so 
they're  kind  of  lonely  and  I  guess  they're  mighty  thankful 
to  have  Miss  Pelton  with  them  to  keep  them  company." 

"To  use  your  Western  way  of  talk,  the  Board  of  Trustees 
'boss'  the  teacher  and  the  teacher  'bosses'  the  scholars.  I 
wonder  if  that's  a  benevolent  despotism  too,"  said  Alistair. 
"What  about  it,  Herb?"  he  asked. 

Herb  looked  at  his  teacher  and  hesitated  for  a  moment. 

"I  don't  know  what  that  is,"  he  said,  blushing;  "but  I 
guess  when  she  gets  out  the  strap,  we  all  sit  up  pretty 
straight." 

Here  it  was  Miss  Pelton's  turn  to  blush,  which  she  did 
very  prettily  and  the  conversation  turned  into  other  chan- 
nels. 

After  supper,  all  except  Mrs.  Appleby,  who  was  expecting 
Jimmy  home  from  Garston  at  any  moment  and  wished  to 
have  some  pancakes  ready  baked  for  him,  went  out  to  the 
corral.  Here  the  lone  "bossy"  of  the  Appleby  family  was  in 
waiting.  It  appeared  that  Herb  had  promised  to  teach  Miss 
Pelton  how  to  milk.  The  man  who  looked  after  Mr.  Thi- 
bault's  cows  took  such  a  serious  view  of  his  responsibilities 
that  the  girl  had  never  felt  the  necessary  courage  to  suggest 
that  she  would  like  to  try  her  'prentice  hand  on  them;  but 
she  was  really  anxious  to  learn  the  art  before  she  returned  to 
town  in  the  summer  holidays.  But  now  the  presence  of  this 
young    and    stylish    stranger,    even    although    temporarily 


9o  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

slightly  damaged,  had  made  her  anxious  to  defer  her  first 
lesson  until  a  more  fitting  opportunity.  Herb,  however,  was 
so  full  of  the  desire  to  exhibit  his  own  superior  knowledge 
to  one  who  was  able  to  speak  to  him  with  authority  anent 
the  mysteries  of  long  division  and  the  eccentricities  of  the 
English  Grammar,  that  "the  cat  was  out  of  the  bag"  before 
she  was  able  even  to  formulate  any  plan  by  which  to  keep 
it  there. 

Alistair,  noting  the  boy's  look  of  disappointment  when 
Miss  Pelton  suggested  a  postponement,  at  once  applauded 
the  idea.  He  said  he,  too,  was  anxious  to  learn  and  was 
quite  ready  to  take  his  first  lesson  if  Herb  would  guarantee 
that  the  cow  was  a  quiet  one  and  would  deal  mildly  with 
a  tenderfoot  like  himself,  who  hardly  knew  one  end  of  a 
cow  from  the  other. 

So  they  all  sallied  out  gleefully.  "Bossy,"  a  fine  black  and 
white  Hoist ein,  regarded  them  thoughtfully  as  they  ap- 
proached, her  large  eye  taking  in  with  a  somewhat  sardonic 
expression — at  least  so  it  seemed  to  Alistair — the  large  milk 
pail  which  Miss  Pelton  carried. 

"She  looks  very  fierce,  doesn't  she?"  said  Miss  Pelton,  as 
under  Herb's  direction,  holding  the  pail  delicately  in  the  one 
hand,  she  took  the  little  one-legged  milking  stool  in  the  other. 
Then  placing  it  upon  the  ground,  she  sat  down  at  about 
eighteen  inches'  distance  from  Bossy's  bulging  sides  and 
reached  out  timidly  towards  the  swelling  udder. 

"Oh,  you're  much  too  far  away,"  cried  Herb  impatiently. 
"You  must  come  close  up  to  her,  you  know.  Maybe  you'd 
better  let  me  start  her  first  and  it  will  be  easier  for  you"; 
and  he  took  the  stool  from  Miss  Pelton  who  was  all  too 
willing  to  give  it  up.  Then  he  sat  down  almost  underneath 
the  animal,  and  dug  his  little  head  into  its  side,  and  in  a 
moment  the  milk  was  flowing  in  streams  to  the  accompani- 
ment of  that  delightful,  rhythmic  music  that  it  makes  upon 
the  bottom  of  the  pail.  A  dreamy  look  of  contentment  set- 
tled over  the  cow  as  she  quietly  chewed  her  cud  and  resigned 
herself  to  her  reflections. 

"There,  now,"  said  Herb  after  he  had  milked  for  a  minute 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  91 

or  two:  "you  see  how  easy  it  is,  and  Bossy,  she's  as  quiet 
as  a  lamb.  You  just  have  to  start  squeezing  with  the  first 
finger  first  and  follow  on  with  others  and  the  milk  comes  as 
easy  as  anything.  Of  course,  you  can't  expect  to  do  it  as 
quick  as  me  at  first;  but  you  soon  get  speedy  when  you've 
practised  a  bit.  Just  to  milk,  why  it's  as  easy  as  rolling  off 
a  log." 

"It  certainly  looks  easy  enough,"  assented  Miss  Pelton  as 
she  took  the  stool  from  the  boy's  hand  and  proceeded  to 
settle  herself  cautiously  upon  it.  Just  at  this  moment,  Bossy 
made  a  furious  lurch  of  her  head  to  brush  away  a  fly  that 
had  settled  on  her  side.  The  girl  thinking  that  it  was 
aimed  at  her  and  that  the  cow  was  resenting  the  change 
of  milkers  dodged  quickly ;  and  losing  her  balance,  would 
have  fallen  but  that  Alistair  was  quick  enough  to  catch  her. 
As  soon  as  she  was  on  her  feet  again,  she  disengaged  her- 
self quickly  from  his  hold,  blushing  confusedly,  and  again 
set  herself  resolutely  on  the  stool. 

"How  silly  of  me,"  she  said ;  "I  thought  she  was  going  to 
butt  me  with  her  horns." 

"Lucky  you  didn't  have  hold  of  the  pail,"  said  Herb. 
"Now  try  again  and  don't  be  afraid  to  get  up  close  to  her. 
She  won't  hurt  you  noways." 

This  time  she  made  a  bold  effort.  Taking  the  pail  in  her 
lap,  under  Herb's  instructions  she  got  hold  of  a  teat  with  one 
hand  and  began  to  squeeze.  At  first  the  milk  would  not 
come  at  all.  Then  after  several  vain  efforts  she  succeeded 
in  forcing  out  a  few  scanty  drops  that  trickled  out  over  her 
fingers. 

"It  reminds  me  of  Byron,"  said  Alistair  who  was  stand- 
ing, looking  on  in  amusement : 

"And  from  her  side  the  last  drops  ebbing  flow 

fall  heavy  one  by  one. 

Like  the  first  of  a  thunder  shower.' 
"In  this  case  though,  unfortunately,  it's  'the  first  drops'  in- 
stead of  'the  last'  that  you've  been  able  to  bring  forth." 

"It's  easy  enough  for  you  to  make  fun  of  me,"  she 
said,  pursing  up  her  mouth  in  desperation.    Then  by  chang- 


92  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

ing  her  method,  all  at  once  she  managed  to  squirt  a  fairly 
liberal  stream  which  bespattered  her  shoe  and  stocking.  At 
the  same  time  the  cow,  which  had  been  manifesting  various 
signs  of  impatience,  suddenly  lifted  up  its  right  foot  and 
brought  it  down  inside  the  bucket  knocking  it  out  of  Miss 
Pelton's  hand.  At  the  same  time  it  brought  its  tail  with 
a  vicious  swish  around  the  girl's  neck  and  ears.  This  was 
too  much  for  her  endurance,  and  she  jumped  to  her  feet 
smarting  with  the  pain  of  the  castigation. 

"That's  enough  for  me,  thank  you,"  she  said  angrily. 
"You  can  let  Mr.  Kilgour  do  the  rest,  seeing  he  can  be  so 
witty  about  it.  I'll  look  on.  I  don't  think  that  your  cow 
is  used  to  having  ladies  milk  her,  Herb" ;  and  she  took  her 
little  handkerchief  and  wiped  the  offending  fluid  off  her  shoe. 

"Oh,  she  often  does  that  to  me,"  said  Herb,  "I  mean, 
swishes  her  tail  that  way.  She's  getting  tired  now,  so  I 
guess  I'd  better  finish  her  myself.  She  doesn't  mean  no 
harm";  and  he  sat  down  on  the  stool  while  the  others 
stood  watching  him,  as  he  milked  the  cow  dry. 

When  he  had  finished  they  all  went  into  the  house  again. 
The  stage  stood  horseless  in  front  of  the  barn  as  they 
walked  past,  showing  that  Jimmy  had  returned;  and  out- 
side the  fence  there  was  a  spring  wagon  with  a  team  of 
horses  tied  up.  When  they  went  inside  they  found  Mr. 
Thibault  chatting  with  Mrs.  Appleby.  At  least,  she  was 
chatting  away  in  her  usual  voluble  strain  and  he  was 
quietly  listening  with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye. 

"I  hear  that  you've  been  learning  to  milk,"  said  Mr. 
Thibault  to  Miss  Pelton  after  greetings  had  passed  and  he 
had  been  introduced  to  Alistair.  "I  suppose  that  you  know 
all  about  it  now?" 

"No,  indeed,"  she  answered.  "I  think  that  I  like  cows 
best  at  a  distance." 

"There's  a  telegram  at  the  hotel  for  you,  Mr.  Kilgour," 
said  Jimmy.  "Tim  White  was  asking  if  you  was  still  at 
Garston  and  I  told  him  you  left  on  this  morning's  train.  He 
guessed  it  was  a  cable  from  the  old  country.    I  didn't  expect 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  93 

that  you  were  coming  back  here,  though,  and  I  told  him 
that  you  had  likely  gone  down  to  Vancouver." 

"Is  that  so?"  said  Alistair,  a  sudden  tightening  at  his 
heart.  A  cable  from  home  was  not  likely  to  contain  any- 
thing but  bad  news  for  him.  "I  think,  if  you  will  excuse  me, 
I  shall  go  down  and  get  it  now.  It  is  not  far  to  walk," 
and  he  rose  to  his  feet. 

"You  can  drive  with  us,"  said  Mr.  Thibault.  "We  are 
just  going  anyway  and  we  pass  the  hotel." 

"And  Jimmy'll  go  along  with  you  to  be  company  on  the 
road  back,"  said  Mrs.  Appleby.  "It'll  be  dark  by  that  time 
anyway,  and  you  might  mebbe  get  out  of  your  way.  'Tain't 
so  easy  to  keep  on  the  trail  at  night  when  you're  not  used 
to  it.    Herb  and  I  will  do  the  rest  of  the  chores." 


CHAPTER  XIII 

THERE  was  the  usual  group  of  men  gathered  around 
the  bar  at  Tim  White's.  It  had  been  payday  that 
day  at  Kendall's  which  was  the  next  largest  place  to  In- 
shallah  in  the  district;  and  four  or  five  of  the  men  had 
come  in  to  cash  their  cheques  and  spend  a  goodly  part  of 
the  money,  for  to  them  wages  were  something  to  be  dis- 
sipated over  the  bar  almost  as  soon  as  earned.  Dick  Evie 
and  Paul  Lorringer  and  Ivan  the  Russian  and  Oscar  the 
Swede  were  there  from  Inshallah.  Monte  and  Jack  Beckles 
were  busy  at  cards  at  a  small  table  opposite.  An  observer 
might  have  noticed  that  while  attending  to  his  game  the 
former  kept  a  watchful  eye  on  the  group  at  the  counter. 

It  was  not  only  the  fact  that  it  was  Kendall's  payday 
that  made  business  good.  The  news  had  spread  that  there 
had  been  a  mysterious  stranger  visiting  Inshallah  who  had 
departed  as  quickly  as  he  had  come  and  whose  advent  boded 
some  crisis  in  the  affairs  of  the  ranch.  These  it  had  been 
whispered  around  had  been  none  too  prosperous  of  late. 

"Well,  I  saw  old  Humpty  down  at  Garston,"  Steve 
Brebner,  the  foreman  at  Kendall's  was  saying,  "an'  he  told 
me  that  this  chap  Kilgour  came  in  all  ready  to  drop  he  was 
that  weak  and  his  head  an'  face  was  bleedin'  like  a  steer. 
He  jist  said  to  Humpty  that  he  had  had  a  fall;  but  seein' 
he  had  no  horse  with  him,  Humpty  thought  it  were  a  bit 
queer  that  he  should  a  hurt  himself  so  bad  an'  him  only 
walkin'.  However,  Humpty  ain't  no  hand  to  be  inquisi- 
tive. He  kind  o'  shut  me  up  when  I  began  to  enquire  more 
special  into  the  affair." 

"I  guess  he  won't  trouble  them  parts  again  for  some 
time,  eh,  Steve?"  said  Tim  White  as  he  poured  him  out  a 
glass  of  beer.  "He  lit  out  first  train  next  mornin',  didn't 
he?    I  guess  he  felt  that  this  neighbourhood  was  none  too 

94 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  95 

healthy  for  his  constitution,"  and  he  grinned  around  with  an 
unpleasant  leer  at  the  admiring  circle. 

"Well,  he  was  gone  when  I  got  up  anyway,"  said  Steve, 
who  had  spent  the  night  at  the  Garston  hotel.  "S'pose  we've 
got  to  thank  them  Inshallah  boys  for  that,  eh,  Dick?"  he 
said  with  a  knowing  wink  to  Evie.  "I  guess  that  they  rode 
him  out  on  a  rail  and  left  him  somewhere  on  the  road  to 
Garston  after  they  had  had  their  fun.     That  right,  Dick?" 

"Not  on  your  life,  Steve,  my  boy,"  said  Evie  good- 
naturedly  throwing  one  muscular,  bechapped  leg  over  a  card 
table.  "We're  too  law-abidin'  round  our  outfit  for  that 
kind  of  a  frame-up.  We  got  nothin'  particular  'gainst  the 
fellow  even  if  he  did  lend  the  boss  his  money  so  long's  he 
don't  cut  up  nasty  about  it." 

"Well,  if  he  distrains  on  your  cattle,  I  guess  you'll 
think  that's  kind  of  nasty,  won't  you?"  said  Andy  Wilmot 
breaking  into  the  discussion. 

"Well,  I  allow  that  would  be  kind  o'  nasty,  Andy,"  Evie 
answered  lazily  chewing  a  straw  with  apparent  gusto,  "but 
it  ain't  quite  come  to  that  yet,  has  it?" 

"Well,  we  all  know  what  he  wired  to  them  agents  o'  his," 
was  the  reply.  "I  guess  he'll  be  too  scared  to  come  back 
himself  now  but  he'll  send  the  sheriff,  I'm  thinkin'.  He'll 
be  mad  enough  to  do  that  though  he'll  be  careful  to  keep 
his  own  skin  at  a  safe  distance.  I  must  say  that  if  I  was 
to  put  the  sheriff  in  on  Inshallah,  I  wouldn't  feel  these  parts 
none  too  healthy  to  be  wanderin'  about  in,  not  with  the 
likes  of  you  an'  Lorringer  around,  Dick.  An'  I  ain't  goin'  to 
blame  no  kindergarten  kid  like  this  here  young  Englishman 
for  fightin'  shy." 

At  this  moment  amid  the  murmur  of  assent  which  fol- 
lowed this  speech,  Kilgour  himself  walked  quickly 
through  the  swing  door  closely  followed  by  Jimmy  Appleby. 
There  was  no  evidence  of  timidity  in  the  young  man's  mien 
as  he  strode  rapidly  through  the  room.  Thrusting  through 
the  crowd  of  loungers  about  the  bar,  he  stopped  in  front  of 
Tim  White,  who  in  astonishment  at  the  sight  of  him  had 
paused  in  the  midst  of  pouring  a  bottle  of  beer. 


96  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

"I  believe  you  have  a  telegram  for  me,"  he  said,  hi** 
anxiety  causing  him  to  speak  with  some  peremptoriness. 

"Who  the  hell  are  you  anyhow?"  Tim  snapped  back  an- 
noyed by  the  stranger's  brusqueness  and  not  unwilling  to 
show  off  before  the  crowd. 

"It's  Mr.  Kilgour,  Tim,"  said  Jimmy  who  had  come 
up  behind.    "I  told  him  you  had  a  wire  for  him." 

"He  can't  have  it  now  anyway,"  said  Tim,  rudely.  "It's 
after  hours  and  he'll  have  to  wait  till  mornin'." 

Alistair  had  had  experience  of  the  man's  rudeness  before 
and  he  was  in  no  mood  to  be  trifled  with.  He  coolly  seized 
the  bottle  of  beer  out  of  the  hotelkeeper's  hand  and  began 
to  pour  it  for  him. 

"Here,  I'll  do  this  for  you  while  you  go  and  get  it,"  he 
said,  as  if  it  were  a  matter  of  course,  concentrating  his  at- 
tention entirely  upon  the  operation.  Tim  was  so  astonished 
to  be  ordered  about  in  this  way  that  his  under  jaw  dropped 
and  he  gasped  in  amazement. 

"Well,  I'm  blessed,"  he  ejaculated,  completely  at  a  loss 
what  to  make  of  the  situation.  He  felt  like  hitting  the 
stranger  a  blow  on  the  face  but  there  was  something  master- 
ful about  him  in  spite  of  his  slim  youth  fulness  that  made 
him  pause,  something  in  the  quiet  indifference  of  his  pose 
and  in  the  firm  cut  of  his  jaw.  The  moment's  irresolution 
persuaded  him  to  a  pacific  policy,  so  he  went  into  the  store 
adjoining  and  returned  in  a  moment  or  so  with  the  Manila 
envelope  bearing  Alistair's  message.  The  latter  took  it  and 
at  once  retired  to  a  vacant  table  to  read  it.  His  fingers 
trembled  as  he  tore  the  covering  apart  and  opened  up  the 
flimsy  sheet  of  paper.    This  was  what  was  on  it : 

"Bondholder  started  action  Greycrags  yesterday  urgent 
realise  De  Roche  mortgage  immediately. 

"Kilgour." 

Alistair's  sensation  was  one  of  intense  relief  as  he  read 
the  message  for  he  had  feared  it  might  contain  news  of 
sickness  or  death  at  home.  That  the  bondholder  had  started 
action  on  the  farm  was  bad  enough,  but  still  all  might  yet 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  97 

be  well  if  he  was  able  to  call  in  the  money  from  the  mortgage 
on  the  De  Roche  place. 

The  room  had  fallen  into  comparative  silence  on  Alistair's 
entry;  and  after  the  buzz  of  conversation  that  had  preceded 
it,  the  contrast  was  a  marked  one.  All  eyes  were  on  him  as 
he  read  his  telegram ;  and  the  word  was  quickly  whispered 
around  that  this  was  the  stranger  who  had  the  mortgage  on 
Inshallah  who  had  been  run  out  the  night  before.  That  he 
should  have  the  hardihood  to  come  back  seemed  an  extraor- 
dinary thing  and  his  coolness  and  evident  unconcern  added 
much  to  the  piquancy  of  the  situation.  The  bandage  on  his 
head  bore  undoubted  testimony  to  the  injuries  he  had 
received  whether  they  were  the  result  of  violence  or  not. 

"Ye  ain't  keepin'  bad  company,  Jim,  are  ye?"  cried  Paul 
Lorringer  to  the  boy  as  the  latter  stood  watching  Alistair 
a  little  timidly,  not  wishing  to  intrude  upon  him  while  he  was 
reading  his  message. 

"Guess  I  am  when  I'm  standin'  beside  the  likes  o'  you," 
he  snapped  out  moving  off  to  the  other  side  of  the  room. 

"Jimmy  likes  to  keep  in  with  the  swells,"  said  Dick 
Evie.     "He  ain't  got  no  use  for  plain  farm  hands  like  you 

and  me  now." 

"I  wonder  what  my  lord's  got  in  his  telegram,"  said  Andy 
Wilmot  after  the  general  laugh  that  had  followed  Dick's 
sally  had  subsided.  "He  don't  look  none  too  sweet  over  it, 
does  he?" 

"Guess  they've  wired  him  they  can't  get  no  forced  sale  on 
them  cattle  after  all,"  said  Dick.  "Let's  see  if  we  can't  have 
some  fun  out  o'  the  chap";  and  he  strolled  over  to  where 
Alistair  was  sitting.  The  young  man's  eyes  were  still  look- 
ing into  vacancy  for  his  mind  was  far  away  with  his  father 
at  home.  He  was  thinking  how  much  this  thing  would 
distress  him. 

"Had  an  accident,  sir  ?"  asked  Dick  with  mock  solicitude. 

"I  beg  your  pardon?"  said  Alistair  suddenly  brought 
jack  to  earth  and  his  surroundings  again.  "Did  you  speak?" 

Dick  repeated  his  question  amid  a  subdued  titter  that 


98  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

arose  from  those  around  who  had  heard  him  and  suspected 
what  he  was  about. 

Alistair  looked  at  him  a  moment  and  he  read  the  ridicule 
in  the  man's  face  and  felt  as  in  a  flash  the  amused  and 
unfriendly  eyes  that  were  upon  him.  Glancing  around  the 
circle,  he  noted  Jimmy's  face  hot  and  troubled  watching 
him  with  the  rest. 

"Yes,"  he  said  in  measured  tones.  "You're  likely  to  have 
one,  too,  if  you  don't  mind  your  own  business." 

There  was  a  general  laugh  at  Dick's  expense  which  made 
him  colour  red  with  anger,  and  the  smile  of  amusement  had 
changed  to  an  ominous  frown. 

"Oh,  I  am,  am  I?"  he  said  with  a  sneer.  He  moved  a 
step  closer  to  Alistair  thrusting  his  chin  out  and  canting  his 
head  to  one  side  with  a  threatening  air.  His  bulk  loomed 
high  over  the  table  where  the  latter  sat.  "Well,  not  by  a 
miserable,  whey-faced  whipper-snapper  like  you,  I  guess. 
If  you'll  just  stand  up,  we'll  see  who's  most  in  danger  of 
an  accident,  you  or  me" ;  and  he  hunched  his  shoulders 
slightly  as  if  to  show  his  readiness  for  an  immediate  fight. 

Alistair  bitterly  condemned  himself  for  his  lack  of  self- 
control  that  had  led  him  into  such  an  untimely  scrape. 
To  become  involved  in  a  fist-fight  with  this  bully  of  a  cow- 
boy was  the  last  thing  that  he  would  welcome  even  had 
he  no  special  mission  on  his  mind  and  were  he  in  the  best  of 
condition  for  such  a  struggle.  He  was  no  coward;  but  he 
realised  that  physically  after  his  injuries  of  the  night  before 
and  the  exhaustion  following  the  long  arduous  day,  there 
was  but  one  possible  outcome.  It  meant  a  licking  for  him. 
He  was  not  one  to  sit  down  under  an  affront  or  a  challenge, 
yet  he  owed  it  to  his  father  to  keep  himself  in  good  trim 
for  the  duty  at  hand  which  was  far  more  important  than 
the  castigation  of  this  cowboy  even  if  that  had  been  pos- 
sible to  accomplish  in  his  present  condition. 

It  was  hard  to  sit  still,  so  hard  that  he  clenched  his  hands 
under  the  table  until  his  nails  bit  into  the  flesh.  He  felt  that 
a  hundred  eyes  were  upon  him  which  he  was  afraid  to  look 
up  and  face.     It  was  a  bitter  ordeal  for  one  who  was  unused 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  99 

to  humiliation ;  and  he  felt  the  blood  rush  up  into  his  face 
while  the  silence  of  the  room  seemed  interminable,  crushing 
him  with  its  impending  menace  of  the  world's  contempt. 

There  was,  however,  a  diversion  from  where  he  would 
have  least  expected  it.  Jimmy  perhaps  of  all  those  present 
did  not  enjoy  the  situation  and  pitied  the  young  man,  al- 
though even  yet  he  was  doubtful  of  his  good  intentions. 

"He  was  right  enough,  Dick  Evie,"  he  said  wrathfully, 
his  voice  that  was  at  the  breaking  stage  between  a  boy's  and 
a  man's,  changing  curiously  in  the  stress  of  his  passion. 
"If  you  would  mind  your  own  business  it  would  be  a  good 
thing  for  everybody  and  if  you  want  to  fight  you'd  better 
pick  out  a  man  of  your  own  size  that  ain't  sick  already, 
you  great  big  slob  you!"  He  strode  up  to  the  big  man  as 
if  he  would  have  tackled  him  himself  right  then  and  there. 

The  latter  swung  round  and  he  might  have  struck  the 
boy  the  next  moment  had  not  another  hand  been  laid  upon 
his  shoulder,  a  heavy  and  a  strong  one  too,  with  a  powerful 
grasp  which  could  not  easily  be  shaken  off. 

"Steady,  steady,  man,"  said  its  owner  in  a  broad  Scotch 
accent.  "Ye  wadna  be  fechtin'  wi'  a  bairn  wi'  the  beard 
no  yet  stiffened  on  his  face  an'  wha's  no  sae  far  frae  the 
richts  o'  the  case  as  ye  might  imagine  in  yer  calmer  mo- 
ments. You  come  wi'  me  an'  hae  a  drink  before  ye  dae 
somethin'  that  ye'll  be  sorry  for." 

He  was  a  man  of  somewhat  over  middle  height  but  with 
a  slight  stoop.  He  had  just  entered  as  the  little  contretemps 
had  arisen  and  had  stood  to  witness  it.  Dick  Evie  looked 
somewhat  abashed  when  he  saw  who  it  was ;  and  the  trucu- 
lent air  wilted  away  in  a  moment. 

"I  wasn't  goin'  to  hurt  the  kid,  Andrew,"  he  said  apolo- 
getically; "but  he'd  no  right  to  sass  me  the  way  he  did  all 
the  same.  He  has  little  need,  I'm  thinkin',  to  be  takin'  up 
with  a  chap  as  had  better  have  stayed  where  he  came  from 
an'  where  he  was  better  appreciated.  However,  that's  his 
lookout." 

Dick  then  suffered  himself  to  be  led  by  the  new  comer 


ioo  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

to  the  bar  where  a  drink  was  soon  forthcoming  which 
helped  to  soothe  his  ruffled  spirits. 

Alistair  and  Jimmy  meanwhile  seized  the  opportunity  to 
slip  out  and  were  soon  upon  the  road  home. 

They  walked  for  some  time  in  silence  under  the  bright 
stars  which  studded  a  clear  sky.  To  Alistair  they  looked 
singularly  beautiful  and  restful  after  the  heat  and  stress 
of  the  scene  they  had  just  left. 

"Jimmy,"  he  said,  at  last,  turning  to  the  boy.  "You're  a 
plucky  lad  and  you  did  me  a  good  turn  to-night  that  I  shall 
not  forget." 

"  'T  weren't  nothin'  at  all,"  said  Jimmy  a  trifle  huskily  for 
he  was  moved. 


>     )     >      »       >  W  •>  •         V 


CHAPTER  XIV 

WHEN  Lorraine  had  arrived  home  after  her  vexing 
interview  with  Mr.  Kilgour,  she  found  that  Olney  and 
Ted  had  returned  from  Kamloops  but  that  the  news  they 
brought  was  far  from  cheering.  The  bank  manager  had 
treated  their  proposals  for  a  loan  with  anything  but  en- 
thusiasm. Indeed,  at  the  end  he  had  flatly  refused  to  con- 
sider it  at  all.  There  was  a  balance  due  of  the  funds  that 
had  been  advanced  last  harvest  which  he  would  like  to  see 
settled,  he  said.  They  had  then  applied  at  the  other  two 
banks  and  in  each  case,  the  managers  there  had  returned 
the  same  negative  answer. 

Meeting  with  no  success  in  raising  a  loan,  they  next  in- 
terviewed the  manager  of  Herries  and  Laing,  the  big  meat 
packers,  to  find  out  whether  he  would  consider  buying  their 
cattle  or  a  sufficient  part  of  them  to  pay  off  the  chattel  mort- 
gage. However,  he  told  them  that  he  had  more  stock  on 
hand  then  he  wanted  and  offered  a  figure  so  ridiculously 
low  that  it  was  not  worth  while  discussing.  The  market 
was  glutted,  and  the  prospects  for  Fall  prices  were  very 
poor.  His  firm  could  not  afford  to  take  any  chances  at  the 
present  time.  Moreover,  he  advised  them  that  he  did  not 
think  they  would  be  likely  to  find  any  local  purchasers  as 
he  mentioned  another  rancher  who  had  a  large  bunch  of 
good  store  cattle  to  sell  and  had  been  unable  to  do  so.  He 
advised  them  if  at  all  possible  to  keep  their  stock  until 
prices  improved. 

It  was  rather  a  gloomy  meal  at  the  supper  table  where 
they  recounted  their  experience  although  Lorraine  did  her 
best  to  put  a  bright  face  on  things. 

"We  should  have  fallen  in  with  Mr.  Kilgour's  suggestion," 
she  said. 

"Nothing  of  the  kind!"  exclaimed  Ted,  fiercely.    "Have 

IOI 


io2  T^E  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

that  stuck-up  English  prig  here  prying  around  and  stick- 
ling his  noit  into  everything  and  lording  it  over  us  all  just 
because  we  owe  him  some  money?  Not  if  I  know  it"; 
and  in  his  excitement  he  knocked  over  the  water  jug.  He 
had  been  drinking  in  Kamloops,  it  was  evident,  and  his  face 
was  flushed  and  twitching  and  his  hands  unsteady.  The 
girl's  heart  sank  as  she  looked  at  him  and  she  reflected  that 
here  was  far  greater  cause  to  them  for  sorrow  than  the 
loss  of  the  stock  could  possibly  be. 

"I  think  that  Lorraine  is  quite  right,"  said  Miss  Paget  as 
she  mopped  up  the  deluge  with  her  napkin.  "The  only  thing 
to  do  is  to  eat  humble  pie  and  try  to  pacify  him  so  that 
he  will  not  proceed  to  extremities.  We  must  tell  him  to 
come  here  at  once  and  we  shall  make  him  welcome." 

"Welcome!  Aunt  Jane,"  cried  out  Ted  with  a  laugh  of 
derision.    "Welcome  as  rain  in  harvest,  I  guess !" 

"He'd  never  make  it  up  with  us  now,"  said  Olney  sullenly, 
"after  us  showing  him  the  door.  Anyway  I'd  never  ask  him. 
I'd  die  first.  Let  him  take  the  cattle  and  sell  them  for  what 
they'll  bring.    I  don't  care." 

"As  it  happens,  you  see  they're  not  your  cattle,  Olney," 
said  his  aunt  severely.  "You've  got  to  act  to  the  best  advan- 
tage for  your  uncle  when  he's  sick  whether  it  suits  in  with 
your  dignity  or  not.  The  thing  for  you  to  do  is  to  go  and 
see  the  man  at  once  at  Appleby's — Lorraine  says  he  is  back 
there  though  how  he  had  the  nerve  to  return  after  the  way 
he  was  treated  astonishes  me — and  make  the  best  terms 
with  him  you  can.  Do  anything  almost  rather  than  have 
the  cattle  sold;  because  you  know  as  well  as  I  do  that  if 
that  happens,  we  are  as  good  as  ruined." 

"I  tell  you  I  won't  and  that's  an  end  of  it,"  he  declared 
angrily.  "Ted  has  a  more  amiable  temper  than  I  have.  Let 
him  have  a  try  at  patching  up  a  peace." 

"Not  I,"  said  Ted  hastily,  "he  can  have  the  cattle  first. 
I  thought  we  had  got  rid  of  him  for  good  ;  but  now  he's  back 
again  I  don't  want  him  any  nearer.  It  wouldn't  be  any  use 
anyway  to  try  after  the  handling  that  he's  had.  I  guess  he's 
pretty  sore  both  outside  and  in  by  this  time." 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  103 

There  was  silence  for  a  moment  while  Miss  Paget's  eyes 
sought  Lorraine's  and  there  was  a  mute  interchange  of 
messages.  Both  knew  that  it  was  useless  to  plead  further. 
All  at  once,  Lorraine  made  a  sudden  resolve  born  of  the 
pain  that  she  saw  in  her  aunt's  face. 

"Then  I  shall  go,"  she  said,  "the  first  thing  to-morrow 
morning  because  there  is  nc  time  to  lose.  If  he  will  not 
listen  to  me  there  will  be  no  great  harm  done ;  and  to  humble 
oneself  is,  no  doubt,  fine  discipline  especially  for  a  temper 
like  mine." 

She  smiled  a  little  ruefully  as  she  thought  of  her  chasten- 
ing of  the  afternoon. 

"Then  you'll  be  a  fool  and  have  your  pains  for  nothing," 
said  Ted,  "but  if  he  does  come  here  by  any  chance,  don't 
expect  me  to  be  civil  to  him,  that's  all." 

"There's  little  danger  of  us  expecting  you  to  be  civil  to 
anybody  I'm  afraid,  Ted,  in  your  present  frame  of  mind," 
his  aunt  put  in  with  a  touch  of  sarcasm. 

"Well,  you  can  do  as  you  like  about  it,"  said  Olney  rising 
and  pushing  in  his  chair  while  Ted  followed  his  example 
giving  his  a  vicious  fling  to  mark  his  resentment  of  his  aunt's 
remark. 

"You're  a  brave  girl,"  said  Miss  Paget  rising  herself 
and  coming  round  behind  Lorraine  when  the  others  had  left 
the  room  and  patting  her  gently  on  the  head  in  a  rather  self- 
conscious  way  for  she  was  anything  but  demonstrative  by 
nature.  "And  I  think  you  will  be  successful  in  spite  of 
what  they  say,  for  after  all  I  think  that  young  man  has  a 
nice  face." 

"Oh,  Auntie!  How  can  you  say  such  a  thing,"  she 
exclaimed  with  vehemence;  "I  think  he  had  such  a  domi- 
neering sort  of  look.  He  is  simply  horrid  with  that  sarcastic 
smile  of  his.  Oh,  you  should  have  heard  him  this  after- 
noon !" 

"That  may  be,"  replied  Miss  Paget  with  serene  confi- 
dence; "but  I  feel  I  am  not  mistaken.  However,  I  know 
better  than  try  to  overcome  your  prejudices." 


CHAPTER  XV 

LORRAINE  arose  early  next  morning  her  thoughts  full 
of  her  mission.  She  had  lain  awake  long  but  fallen 
asleep  at  last  and  in  the  moment  of  awakening,  before  she 
could  remember  what  it  was,  she  was  aware  of  a  something 
disagreeable  impending.  When  her  mind  recalled  in  a  flash 
her  undertaking  of  the  night  before,  she  could  have  wished 
she  was  still  asleep.  However,  she  was  not  a  shirker  and 
taking  a  hasty  breakfast,  she  went  out  and  saddled  Pronto 
and  set  off  to  the  Applebys. 

The  morning  was  a  fine  one  and  as  she  rode  along  the 
margin  of  the  lake  and  marked  the  freshness  of  everything, 
her  spirits  rose  somewhat.  With  the  buoyancy  of  youth,  by 
the  time  she  arrived  at  her  destination  she  had  begun  to 
feel  almost  confident  that  she  could  wheedle  this  young  man 
whom  she  disliked  so  much  into  doing  what  she  desired. 

She  found  Mrs.  Appleby  out  among  her  chickens  and 
was  told  that  Mr.  Kilgour  had  gone  for  a  stroll  saying  he 
intended  to  climb  the  bluff  that  lay  to  the  north,  and  have 
a  look  at  the  country.  Without  stopping  to  converse  long 
with  the  good  woman,  she  turned  Pronto's  head  along  the 
trail  that  led  for  a  short  way  through  the  brush  and  then 
turned  almost  perpendicularly  upwards  on  the  face  of  the 
bluff.  There  was  only  the  one  trail  so  that  she  knew  there 
wras  small  chance  of  her  missing  Mr.  Kilgour  unless  he  was 
not  content  with  simply  ascending  to  the  summit  of  the 
bluff  but  should  explore  farther  along  on  the  slopes  or 
should  seek  to  climb  to  the  greater  height  behind. 

She  soon  reached  the  bottom  and  here  she  flung  herself 
quickly  out  of  the  saddle  and  throwing  the  lines  over  the 
horn,  she  started  up  the  narrow  trail  which  led  almost  per- 
pendicularly up  the  steep  face  of  the  hill.  To  any  one 
unaccustomed  to  the  wonderful  climbing  abilities  of  the 

104 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  105 

rangebred  horse  it  would  have  seemed  impossible  for  Pronto 
to  follow  her,  so  narrow  was  the  path  and  so  precipitous  the 
ascent,  but  both  the  horse  and  his  mistress  took  it  as  a 
matter  of  course.  Just  like  a  dog,  he  followed  her,  soberly 
and  demurely  taking  every  foothold  with  precision — at 
times  making  catlike  springs  with  his  hindquarters  where 
some  particularly  difficult  bit  had  to  be  surmounted.  The 
girl  was  able  to  aid  herself  now  and  again  by  catching  hold 
of  a  small  tree  trunk  or  branch  and  occasionally  she  would 
pause  for  a  few  moments,  breathing  space  for  herself  and 
the  horse  and  then  go  on  again.  The  very  last  stage  before 
reaching  the  summit  was  the  steepest  part,  and  as  the  trail 
here  was  covered  with  a  loose  rubble  of  earth  and  stones 
it  made  a  slippery  footing  for  the  horse.  So  it  was  that  he 
began  to  step  very  quickly  to  avoid  slipping  back  again  and 
Lorraine  had  to  scramble  fast  to  keep  out  of  the  way  of  his 
forefeet.  She  managed  to  keep  ahead  of  him,  however, 
and  having  reached  the  summit,  panting  and  utterly 
exhausted  for  the  moment,  she  flung  herself  down  on  the 
grass  with  a  sigh  of  relief.  The  horse,  equally  winded,  stood 
with  legs  spread  apart  and  head  down  and  puffed  like  a 
steam-engine,  the  sweat  dripping  down  the  point  of  his 
nose  and  from  his  chest  and  showing  in  foamy  streaks  all 
over  his  flanks  and  shoulders. 

"I  had  my  money  on  you,"  said  a  voice  almost  directly 
above  her,  coming  in  the  most  startling  fashion  as  it  seemed 
out  of  the  air.  By  a  quick  involuntary  movement  of  her 
hand,  she  drew  the  loose  skirt  of  her  khaki  riding  suit  over 
a  slender  limb  incased  in  canvas  leggings  that  had  been 
carelessly  exposed  in  the  abandon  of  her  collapse  as  she 
looked  up  in  surprise  to  see  where  the  mysterious  voice 
came  from.  But  it  was  not  such  a  mystery  after  all,  for,  in 
a  low  fork  of  the  tree  under  which  she  was  reclining  and  just 
a  few  feet  from  the  ground,  sat  Mr.  Kilgour,  the  man  she 
had  set  out  to  find. 

"I — I — beg  your  pardon,"  said  Lorraine  somewhat 
haughtily  in  the  embarrassment  of  her  surprise  to  find  the 
object  of  her  search  so  close  to  her.    This  embarrassment 


106  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

was  increased  perhaps  by  the  fact  that  there  was  a  faint 
smile  of  amusement  on  the  young  man's  face;  but  it  was  not 
unfriendly. 

"No,  it  is  for  me  to  beg  yours,"  he  replied  quickly,  anxious 
to  avoid  giving  offence ;  and  jumping  from  his  perch  in  the 
tree  he  sat  down  beside  her  on  the  turf.  "It  looked  as  if  you 
were  trying  a  race  with  your  horse  up  the  hill  and  I  was 
only  saying  that  I  was  betting — in  my  mind  of  course — 
that  you  would  win." 

"Oh,  is  that  it,"  and  she  laughed.  "Yes,  it  is  quite  a 
climb,  isn't  it?  and  one  has  to  move  quickly  to  keep  out 
of  Pronto's  way  once  he  gets  started.  He  doesn't  always 
realise  how  big  and  heavy  his  feet  are  as  I  have  found  out 
to  my  pain  more  than  once.  They  are  small  for  a  horse 
but  they  come  down  very  sharp  and  sore  on  such  toes  as 
mine,"  and  she  glanced  down  at  her  foot  that  was  small 
and  dainty  enough  in  spite  of  the  shapely  but  serviceable 
shoe  which  covered  it.  "But  what  have  you  done  with  your 
horse?"  she  asked  looking  sideways  at  him  now  that  she 
was  beginning  to  recover  her  self-possession.  He  was  not 
so  pale  this  morning,  though  the  bandage  was  still  evident 
on  the  side  of  his  head;  but  the  depression  and  weariness 
that  had  so  marked  his  mien  of  yesterday  had  disappeared 
and  his  expression  was  cheerful  and  his  eye  friendly. 

"I  left  him  in  the  stable,"  he  replied.  "I  came  out  only 
for  a  stroll.  I've  just  hired  him  for  a  season,  and  how  do 
I  know  that  he  wouldn't  break  his  neck,  or  mine,  if  I  brought 
him  up  Alpine  precipices  like  this?  I  prefer  to  do  my 
mountain-climbing  on  foot,  thank  you.  And  this  view  was 
certainly  well  worth  climbing  for." 

"Yes,  isn't  it  grand?"  she  assented,  her  face  lighting  up 
with  enthusiasm  as,  following  his  admiring  gaze,  she  looked 
abroad  over  the  wide  prospect  which  lay  panoramically 
before  them.  Under  the  mild  light  of  morning,  it  all  looked 
very  beautiful  and  full  of  peace.  For  a  time,  Lorraine  had 
almost  forgotten  the  unpleasant  nature  of  her  errand  as  she 
drank  in  its  charm  with  eyes  aglow  and  colour  mantling  in 
her  cheeks. 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  107 

"I  love  to  come  here — it  does  me  good,"  she  went  on, 
"and  look  down  over  the  valley  and  see,  like  a  god,  all  that 
is  going  on  below — sometimes  the  cowboys  driving  in  the 
cattle  or  Jimmy  Appleby  passing  with  the  stage  or  some 
motor  party  going  through.  The  road  that  seems  to  stop 
so  abruptly  reminds  me  of  the  one  that  Stevenson  described 
in  'Will  o'  the  Mill'  where  so  many  people  went  by.  Will 
wondered  where  they  all  went  to  and  what  happened  to 
them  for  they  hardly  ever  came  back.  I  look  away  there 
to  the  South  and  see  the  hills  getting  bluer  and  bluer  in  the 
distance" — she  waved  her  hand  to  the  right  of  them — "and 
I  imagine  that  I  don't  know  myself  what  there  is  down  there 
or  where  the  road  can  lead  to.  Don't  you  like  to  let  your 
fancy  run  riot  that  way  sometimes?" 

"Yes,"  he  replied,  "there  was  a  low  hill  above  our  place 
where  as  a  boy  I  loved  to  go  and  lie  on  the  grass  in  the 
summertime.  I  used  to  watch  the  people  passing  along  the 
road  to  Selkirk  and  speculate  on  who  they  were  and  where 
they  were  going  and  weave  daydreams  of  my  own.  It  was  a 
highway  rich  in  associations,  too.  Oh,  it's  a  romantic 
country  there — even  to  ride  into  the  old  town  of  Selkirk  on 
a  summer  morning — up  the  hill,  for  it  stood  upon  an 
eminence  from  the  direction  in  which  we  always  entered  it 
— with  its  red  sandstone  houses  it  used  to  look  to  my  boyish 
eyes  like  some  romantic  Italian  city.  Yes,  I  suppose  my 
imagination  did  run  riot  in  those  days, "  and  his  enthusi- 
asm suddenly  died  down  as  he  concluded,  the  animation 
fading  out  of  his  face. 

"You  will  be  surprised  to  hear,"  she  began,  looking  down 
into  her  lap,  her  fingers  plucking  apart,  petal  by  petal,  a 
yellow  dandelion  that  she  had  picked  from  the  turf  beside 
her,  "that  I  really  came  up  here  after  you  as  I  wanted 
specially  to  see  you — Mrs.  Appleby  told  me  which  way  you 
had  gone.     I — we — we  have  been  considering  the  proposal 

that  you  made  us  the  other  day  and  we — that  is,  I "  and 

she  floundered  rather  piteously  feeling  all  the  time,  though 
she  still  kept  her  glance  down,  that  he  was  looking  at  her 
with  those  eyes  which  she  knew  could  look  so  coldly  and 


108  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

sternly,  "I  mean,"  she  went  on  at  last  desperately  when  the 
silence  became  unbearable,  "that  it  wasn't  so  unreasonable 
after  all  and  that  we  should  not  have  been  so — so — so  rude 
and  so — so  mean  about  it  to  you ;  and  I  just  wanted  to  ask 
you  to  forget  that  and  come  to  us  now  and  we  shall  try  to 
make  you  as  comfortable  as  we  can  till  we  can  pay  you 
the  money." 

She  took  courage  to  glance  up  for  one  brief  second  at 
his  face.  Its  expression  was  not  reassuring,  for  the  light 
had  died  out  of  it  and  he  was  looking  at  her  coldly,  almost 
suspiciously,  she  felt. 

"I  am  afraid  that  the  time  for  that  has  passed.  More 
than  one  thing  has  happened  since  then  to  alter  the  situa- 
tion. I  think  that  it  would  have  been  more  fitting  that  your 
cousin  or  your  brother  should  have  come  to  me  if  there  were 
any  proposals  to  make.  I  was  given  to  understand  that  Mr. 
Layburn  held  your  father's  power  of  attorney  and  that  he 
had  complete  charge  over  everything.  In  any  case  in  a 
matter  of  this  kind  I  should  prefer  to  deal  with  him.  As 
I  said,  I  am  afraid  that  it  is  a  little  late  for  any  compromise 
now." 

He  felt  some  compunction  about  speaking  so  severely 
but  he  had  a  suspicion  that  perhaps  the  man  was  trying  to 
work  him  through  the  girl.  He  had  heard  things  in  Kam- 
loops  that  made  him  suspect  that  enough  stock  should  have 
been  sold  off  Inshallah  in  the  last  year  to  have  more  than 
taken  care  of  the  mortgage  interest  and  the  expenses  of 
the  ranch. 

"My  cousin  is  so  headstrong  and — and  so  obstinate" — she 
paused  for  a  moment  as  if  at  a  loss — "and  I  am  afraid 
that  he  hardly  realises  how  much  depends  upon  your  giving 
us  more  time.  It  is  my  father,  I  am  thinking  of  most,"  she 
went  on  with  difficulty ;  "and  I  am  thinking  of  what  it  will 
mean  to  him  if  he  gets  better  and  finds  out  that  there  has 
been  a  sheriff's  sale  on  the  place.  It  would  about  break 
his  heart,  I  know,  so  I  thought  that  it  was  for  me  to  see 
you  and  try  to  get  you  to  give  us  another  chance — for  his 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  109 

sake.     My  brother  does  not  help  me  much  and  I  cannot 
count  on  him,"  she  added  pathetically. 

"I  am  very  sorry  for  your  distress,"  he  said  looking  away 
and  his  profile  showed  no  indication  of  softening;  "but  I 
have  had  news  myself  from  home  yesterday  and  it  makes  it 
the  more  imperative  that  this  mortgage  must  be  realised 
as  soon  as  possible.  It  might  have  been  better  for  your 
father  as  well  as  for  us  if  we  had  forced  this  thing  to  an 
issue  as  soon  as  the  money  became  due.  Sometimes,  in 
such  cases  as  these,  an  easy  clemency  is  the  worst  kindness." 

"I  suppose  that  you  really  want  to  get  even  with  us  for 
the  way  these  men  treated  you  the  other  night — for  I  dare 
say  that  you  still  hold  us  responsible  for  the  outrage,  most 
unjustly  so  too,"  she  protested,  adroitly  taking  up  another 
angle  of  the  subject  on  which  she  hoped  to  find  him  more 
vulnerable. 

"I  think  that  we  already  discussed  that  somewhat  yester- 
day," he  returned ;  "and  there  is  not  much  to  be  gained  by 
opening  it  up  again.  I  tell  you  though — I  am  willing  to  do 
this;  you  can  talk  it  over  with  your  cousin  when  you  go 
back.  I  shall  call  over  at  your  place  this  afternoon  when 
you  can  let  me  know  your  decision.  I  am  willing  to  stop 
proceedings  in  the  meantime,  on  condition  that  you  turn  all 
the  stock  over  to  me  to  dispose  of  as  occasion  serves,  up 
to  the  extent  of  the  amount  of  the  chattel  mortgage,  and 
for  ten  thousand  more  to  be  applied  on  the  principal  of 
the  mortgage  on  the  ranch  itself.  Layburn  can  still  run 
the  place  but  it  will  be  under  my  supervision  and  according 
to  my  wishes.  I  am  afraid  that  you  will  have  to  make  me 
your  guest  in  the  meantime.  If  this  arrangement  is  agree- 
able to  you — there  is  no  reason  I  think  why  we  cannot 
clean  up  the  business  within  six  months  or  so  in  an  amicable 
and  friendly  fashion.  Believe  me,"  and  he  smiled,  rising  to 
his  feet  as  if  to  suggest  an  end  to  the  interview,  "I  have  na 
wish  to  be  otherwise.  As  my  head  bears  witness" — he  could 
not  resist  the  taunt — "the  unfriendliness  has  been  on  your 
side." 

She  also  rose  with  an  air  of  quiet  dignity  and  going  over 


no  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

to  Pronto,  she  took  hold  of  his  bridle  and  pulled  his  head 
up  from  the  grass  which  he  had  begun  to  crop  lightly. 

"Very  well  then,"  she  said  without  glancing  at  him  again, 
"if  that  is  your  ultimatum  we  shall  look  for  you  this  after- 
noon and  shall  let  you  know  if  we  can  accept  it." 

Now  that  he  had  set  his  terms  she  was  not  going  to  cringe 
before  him  any  longer. 

"Will  you  permit  me  to  lead  your  horse  down  the  path 
for  you?"  he  offered  rather  taken  aback,  it  must  be  con- 
fessed, by  her  terminating  the  discussion  so  suddenly. 

"Oh  no,  thank  you,  I  shall  ride  down,"  she  returned 
quickly ;  and,  putting  her  hand  to  the  stirrup,  she  vaulted 
lightly  into  the  saddle.  Wheeling  the  horse  round  she  had 
turned  him  down  the  bluff  before  Alistair  had  time  even 
to  protest.  His  heart  was  in  his  mouth  as  to  him  the  act 
looked  like  suicide ;  but  with  considerable  noise  of  snapping 
of  twigs  and  rolling  of  stones  the  animal  slid  down  almost 
on  its  haunches,  and  he  and  his  rider  were  soon  out  of  sight. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

ALISTAIR  kept  his  appointment  on  the  afternoon  fol- 
lowing his  meeting  with  Lorraine  on  the  hill ;  and  after 
a  lengthy  conference,  at  which  Layburn  and  Ted  as  well 
as  the  girl  herself  were  present,  an  amicable  understanding 
and  modus  vivendi  were  arrived  at.  It  had  appeared  when 
Layburn  had  sufficiently  got  over  his  sulkiness  to  talk 
reasonably,  that  there  were  really  no  funds  available  for 
running  the  place  through  the  summer  and  the  men's  wages 
were  already  considerably  in  arrears.  Probably  it  was  this 
fact  as  much  as  the  threat  of  a  sheriff's  sale  hanging  over 
their  heads  that  made  him  at  all  amenable  to  reason. 

So  the  next  day  had  seen  the  two,  Layburn  and  Alistair, 
repairing  together  to  Kamloops  where  the  lawyers,  Somer- 
ville  and  Slack,  were  consulted.  An  agreement  was  drawn 
up  turning  over  all  the  stock  to  Alistair,  enough  of  it  to 
be  sold  at  his  discretion  to  pay  off  the  chattel  mortgage  and 
ten  thousand  as  well  on  the  principal  of  the  other  mortgage 
on  the  ranch  itself.  On  the  strength  of  this  arrangement 
and  Alistair's  own  personal  guarantee,  he  was  able  to  nego- 
tiate a  sufficient  line  of  credit  with  the  bank  which  the 
De  Roches  had  always  dealt  with,  to  carry  them  through 
the  expenses  of  the  summer.  He  was  to  sign  all  cheques  and 
receive  all  moneys  coming  in  from  sales  of  stock,  so  that 
he  would  be  in  control  of  the  financial  end  of  it.  While 
Layburn  was  still  to  have  the  management,  Alistair  was 
to  act  in  an  advisory  capacity.  It  was  an  arrangement  that 
left  loopholes  for  trouble  but  it  seemed  to  be  the  best  that 
could  be  made  in  the  circumstances. 

The  day  after  it  was  signed,  Alistair  took  up  his  quarters 
at  Inshallah  after  saying  good-bye  rather  regretfully  to  the 
Appleby  family,  who  were  as  sorry  to  see  him  go  as  he 
was  to  leave  them. 

in 


ii2  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

Lorraine  it  was  who  came  to  the  door  in  answer  to  the 
bell  and  she  ushered  him  into  the  front  parlour  with  some- 
thing of  restraint  in  her  manner. 

"I  wanted  to  have  a  few  words  with  you,"  she  said,  her 
face  showing  a  faint  tinge  of  colour  above  its  usual  waxen- 
like  transparency  as,  having  motioned  him  to  a  chair,  she 
sat  down  opposite  him,  her  long  lashes  lowered.  "My 
father  is  able  to  come  down  stairs  now  and  we  have  given 
him  to  understand  that  you  are  here  as  a  guest  merely — 
you  want  to  see  a  little  of  Western  ranch  life.  He  has 
forgotten  all  about  the  letter  the  agents  wrote  before  your 
arrival.  The  doctor  says  that  it  is  absolutely  necessary  that 
he  should  be  kept  free  from  mental  worry  or  excitement  of 
any  kind — otherwise  he  is  likely  to  have  a  relapse  which 
would  probably  prove  fatal.  I  thought  it  would  be  better 
if  I  explained  to  you" — she  hesitated  evidently  somewhat 
at  a  loss  to  go  on  while  her  fingers  played  nervously  with 
the  tassel  of  a  cushion  beside  her  on  the  settee — "then  you 
would  not  mind  playing  up  to  the  part — just  as  if  you  were 
not  self-invited  you  know — in  view  of  the  circumstances." 

"I  quite  understand,  Miss  De  Roche,"  Alistair  returned, 
smiling  a  trifle  sarcastically.  "For  your  father's  sake  we 
are  to  appear  as  friends  when  he  is  present ;  at  other 
times  we  are  just  to  act  naturally.    Is  that  it?" 

"I  suppose  so,"  she  assented  but  with  a  slightly  embar- 
rassed air,  looking  up  at  him.  "And  now  dinner  is  ready," 
she  broke  off,  and  ushered  him  into  the  dining-room  where 
her  father  was  already  seated  bolstered  up  with  cushions  in 
an  armchair.  Miss  Paget  was  there,  too,  and  shook  hands 
civilly  enough  with  the  guest. 

Alistair  looked  with  interest  at  the  invalid,  who  held  out 
a  thin  hand  to  greet  him  and  noted  the  marked  resemblance 
to  his  daughter  in  the  straight  clear-cut  features,  the  deli- 
cately-chiselled nose,  sensitive  chin  and  fine  arch  of  the 
eyebrows.  The  mobile  mouth  was  slightly  drawn  up  at 
one  side  bearing  witness  to  the  recent  stroke  from  which 
he  had  suffered,  though  the  weakness  was  more  noticeable 
when  he  spoke. 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  113 

"I  am  very  glad  to  welcome  you,  sir,  to  my  house, 
though  sorry  to  be  in  such  poor  shape  to  entertain  you," 
he  said  cordially.  "But  Lorraine  here  and  Ted  will  have 
to  make  up  for  me."  The  latter  had  now  entered  and  were 
waiting  for  the  visitor  to  take  his  seat  at  Miss  Paget's 
right  hand  where  she  had  placed  him.  "Olney  will  too, 
of  course — that  is  my  nephew — but  he  does  not  have  much 
time.     There's  always  a  lot  to  do  on  a  cattle  ranch." 

"Yes,  I  should  think  there  would  be,"  said  Alistair. 

"Too  much  to  do  to  have  to  be  bothered  with  triflers 
around,"  muttered  Ted.  "What  are  you  kicking  me  under 
the  table  for?"  he  asked  of  Lorraine  raising  his  voice.  The 
girl  was  frowning  at  him  warningly ;  but  maliciously,  he 
pretended  to  be  ignorant  of  her  meaning.  It  was  evident 
that  he  had  had  more  liquor  than  was  good  for  him. 

"Yes,  it's  a  mighty  poor  place  for  people  that  poke  their 
heads  in  where  they  are  not  wanted,"  he  went  on  speaking 
louder  and  with  a  note  of  defiance.  "We  haven't  the  time 
or  the  inclination  for  them;"  and  he  stared  insolently  at 
Alistair. 

The  latter  had  noted  the  distress  in  the  girl's  face  and 
/her  look  of  mute  entreaty  to  him;  and  he  grew  hot  with 
anger  at  the  youth,  though  he  saw  what  had  caused  him 
to  forget  his  manners.  In  his  half-intoxicated  condition  it 
was  hard  to  tell  how  far  he  might  go. 

"So  you  warn  them  out  of  the  country,  do  you  ?"  he  said, 
turning  his  gaze  fixedly  on  the  boy;  and  for  a  brief  space 
the  two  looked  into  each  other's  eyes,  the  younger  trying  to 
remain  steadfast.  The  shaft  sent  at  random  had  struck 
home  and  Ted  in  spite  of  himself  felt  the  blood  surging 
over  his  face  and  brow  and  his  eyes  fell  before  the  stern 
compulsion  of  the  other's  look. 

"Ted,  you  talk  too  much,"  said  Mr.  De  Roche  reprov- 
ingly. "You  must  not  mind  him,  Mr.  Kilgour.  When  you 
get  to  be  my  age  you'll  think  the  intolerance  of  a  boy  is 
to  be  looked  upon  with  a  certain  degree  of  forbearance." 

"No  doubt,  that  is  true,  Mr.  De  Roche,"  returned  Alistair 
responding  easily  to  the  charm  of  the  elder  man's  smile. 


ii4  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

''After  all  neither  Mr.  Ted  nor  I  have  come  to  the  stage 
yet  where  we  can  look  at  things  with  a  philosophical  eye. 
We  have  all  our  buffets  coming  to  us." 

"Boys  and  young  men  are  just  like  colts.  Some  are 
'broke'  easy  with  scarce  a  bit  of  trouble.  Others  take  it 
hard  and  after  it  is  over,  they  sulk  and  fret,  won't  eat  or 
drink  and  get  so  poor  and  weak  that  you'd  almost  expect 
them  to  die.  Take  it  from  me,  Ted,  either  for  man  or  colt 
it's  never  any  use  to  sulk." 

"Sometimes  the  best  horse  is  the  hardest  to  break  too, 
isn't  it?"  put  in  Lorraine,  relieved  to  have  the  conversation 
opening  into  more  impersonal  channels. 

The  subject  was  changed  and  the  meal  passed  off  pleas- 
antly, even  Ted's  sulkiness  succumbing  before  the  end  of 
it  to  his  interest  in  the  conversation. 

De  Roche  was  a  man  of  considerable  intelligence,  who  had 
traveled  a  good  deal  and  read  well,  if  not  widely.  It  was 
plain  that  he  enjoyed  Alistair's  company,  but  the  effort  of 
talking  was  too  much  for  him,  it  was  apparent,  and  he  soon 
lapsed  into  comparative  silence. 

"Where  is  Olney?"  he  asked  Lorraine  with  a  touch  of 
irritation. 

"I  don't  know,  Father,"  the  girl  answered,  her  face  falling. 
She  knew  why  Olney  had  not  appeared.  He  had  taken  his 
supper  with  the  men  rather  than  "put  his  legs  under  the 
table  with  the  interloper,"  as  he  expressed  it.  "He's  going 
out  on  the  lease  to-morrow  to  cut  out  the  strays,  and  he's 
been  delayed,  I  guess.  I'm  going  with  him,  if  you  don't 
mind." 

"Well,  then,  that's  just  the  thing.  Certainly  I  don't  mind. 
It'll  do  you  good,  after  so  much  sick  nursing,  and  bring  the 
colour  back  to  your  cheeks,  eh  ?  You  can  take  Mr.  Kilgour 
along  with  you." 

"Oh,  it  would  be  too  long  and  rough  a  ride  for  Mr. 
Kilgour,"  said  Lorraine  quickly. 

"Not  a  bit  of  it,"  her  father  replied.  "He's  no  milksop, 
I'm   sure.     Hasn't  he   ridden   to   hounds?    The   ride   will 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  115 

harden  him  up,  even  if  he  is  a  little  stiff  after  it.  You  and 
Olney  can  show  him  what  a  fine  range  we  have  around  here. 
You  can  make  a  regular  picnic  of  it." 

Much  against  Lorraine's  will  the  matter  was  settled  in 
this  way. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

SOON  after  dawn  the  little  party  rode  out  of  the  ranch 
gate  and  along-  the  lake-front  to  the  east.  The  sky 
behind  them  above  the  hill  was  suffused  with  a  rich  saffron 
glow,  while  beneath,  soft,  white  streamers  of  morning  mist 
still  hung  on  the  pine-covered  slopes,  making  their  dark- 
green  deeper  by  contrast.  Not  a  breath  disturbed  the  lake's 
unrippled  surface  and  there  was  a  stillness  everywhere  save 
for  the  cheery  chirping  of  a  few  early  birds  on  the  fences. 

Alistair  rode  in  front  with  Olney  and  Lorraine  while  Ted 
and  Monte  followed.  Lorraine  was  in  good  spirits  and 
chatted  away  gaily  with  Olney  on  her  left  hand  but  had 
never  a  word  for  Alistair  on  her  right. 

He  was  mounted  on  a  big  raw-boned  bay  long-coupled 
and  with  a  large  head  and  powerful  shoulders.  Hammer- 
head, it  was  appropriately  named.  It  had  little  spring  to 
its  paces  and  seemed  to  respond  very  clumsily  to  the  rein. 
This  clumsiness  was  due,  had  he  known,  it,  to  his  unfamil- 
iarity  with  the  Western  manner  of  guiding  a  horse  by  the 
pressure  of  the  reins  on  the  neck  instead  of  pulling  on  the 
bit. 

At  the  head  of  the  lake  was  a  grove  of  cottonwoods  grow- 
ing very  large  and  luxuriantly  in  a  piece  of  low-lying 
swampy  land ;  and  they  turned  into  this  through  a  rude  gate 
composed  of  bars  which  Monte  took  down,  all  but  the  two 
lowest  ones  over  which  each  of  the  party  jumped  in  turn. 
After  riding  quietly  along  through  the  trees  for  about  ten 
minutes  they  came  out  on  a  wide  sweep  of  pasture  with  a 
herd  of  cattle  grazing;  and  Ted  and  Monte  rode  off  to  one 
side  and  Layburn  to  the  other,  so  as  to  round  them  up. 

"We  are  going  to  drive  them  out  on  to  the  range  now," 
said  Olney  addressing  Alistair  for  the  first  time  since  they 
had  started.     "This  bunch  came  through  the  winter  very 

116 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  117 

badly  and  we  have  been  feeding  them  hay  up  till  now  to 
get  them  in  a  little  better  condition.  Now  the  grass  is 
getting  good  on  the  ranges,  it  is  time  they  were  out." 

The  three  horsemen  following  their  diverging  paths  and 
still  proceeding  at  a  walking  pace  had  passed  out  to  the  rear 
of  the  cattle  and  were  now  bringing  them  slowly  up.  Occa- 
sionally one  of  them  would  have  to  put  his  horse  to  the 
gallop  to  catch  some  refractory  steer  that  would  suddenly 
attempt  to  break  away ;  but  on  the  whole  the  animals  seemed 
to  come  willingly  enough.  It  was  a  pleasing  picture  to 
watch  them  spread  out  through  the  wide  field  with  the 
three  riders  behind  turning  their  horses  hither  and  thither 
skilfully  so  as  to  bring  the  herd  together  in  a  more  compact 
formation. 

The  girl  and  Alistair  had  drawn  their  horses  to  one  side 
so  as  to  allow  the  cattle  to  pass  into  the  willow  brush  where 
they  quickly  disappeared,  the  riders  following  them  with 
shouts.  Now  was  the  difficult  part  as  there  was  so  much 
opportunity  in  the  semi-gloom  of  the  thicket  for  animals  to 
stray  out  on  the  sides  and  escape;  and  Lorraine  plunged 
in  after  the  rest,  fearlessly  riding  where  at  times  she  had 
to  crouch  to  her  horse's  neck  to  avoid  being  swept  off  his 
back  by  the  low  limbs  of  the  trees. 

Alistair  followed  more  deliberately  and  did  his  best;  but 
unaccustomed  as  he  was,  he  found  some  difficulty  at  places 
in  penetrating  himself  through  the  thick  brush  without 
attempting  to  drive  the  cattle  through  it. 

It  was  easy  once  they  had  got  clear  of  the  willow  brush 
under  the  cottonwoods  and  before  long  they  had  passed  out 
through  the  gate  and  across  the  road  into  the  field  on  the 
other  side.  It  was  necessary  to  traverse  this  to  reach  the 
canon  that  led  up  to  the  range  in  Monk's  Meadows.  A 
rude  trail  led  up  the  hillside  but  it  was  impossible  to  keep 
the  beasts  from  spreading  out  over  this  on  either  side;  and 
the  riders  had  to  scramble  through  the  brush  after  them. 
The  cows  with  very  young  calves  gave  the  most  trouble 
and  the  latter  were  now  getting  very  hot  and  tired  for  by 
this  time  the  sun  was  growing  strong.     The  dust,  too,  had 


n8  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

risen  in  clouds  behind  the  shuffling  hoofs  and  the  horses 
were  sweating  heavily. 

Alistair  was  filled  with  admiration  for  the  skill  of  the 
men  in  driving  the  cattle  up  over  steep  banks  and  declivi- 
ties or  charging  through  dense  brush  with  forearm  raised 
across  their  eyes  to  protect  them  from  the  sharp-pointed 
branches.  It  was  a  hot  and  exhausting  operation ;  and  he 
was  heartily  glad  when  about  noon  they  had  got  the  herd 
well  up  the  hill  into  a  wide  canon  that  extended  for  about 
half  a  mile  and  Layburn  suggested  a  halt  for  something 
to  eat. 

"They'll  find  their  way  over  now,"  he  said ;  "it  isn't  any 
use  us  drivin'  them  any  farther.  They're  all  tired  enough 
and  a  little  rest  won't  hurt  them  or  us  either,  I'm  thinking," 
and  dismounting  he  pulled  off  his  sombrero  and  mopped  his 
wet  forehead. 

The  others  dismounted  also  after  loosening  the  cinches, 
threw  the  lines  down  on  the  ground  and  let  their  horses 
graze  on  the  meagre  grass  that  grew  under  the  trees. 

Miss  De  Roche  took  off  a  small  package  that  was  tied  at 
the  rear  of  her  saddle  and,  undoing  the  string,  disclosed 
two  smaller  ones  within,  one  of  which  she  handed  to 
Alistair. 

"There's  a  surprise  packet  for  you,"  she  remarked  with 
a  smile.  "Enough  to  keep  you  from  perishing  until  we  get 
back  again.  Our  picnics  are  not  at  all  elaborate  affairs, 
you  see,  as  we  find  it  best  to  travel  light." 

The  others  each  carried  their  own  lunches  with  them 
and  they  ate  for  the  most  part  in  silence,  speaking  when 
they  did  in  short,  laconic  remarks  that  had  no  general 
interest.  There  was  evident  constraint  and  Alistair,  feeling 
himself  to  be  the  cause  of  it,  did  not  attempt  to  open  up  a 
conversation.  He  was  nervous  under  the  sinister  glances  of 
the  man,  Monte,  who  sat  with  his  back  against  a  tree  oppo- 
site him.  Ted  had  ignored  him  completely  while  Layburn, 
when  he  did  speak,  seemed  to  confine  his  remarks  principally 
to  the  girl. 

Alistair  was  pleased  enough  when  it  was  decided  to  move 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  119 

on  again.  They  mounted  the  horses  after  giving  them  a 
drink  at  a  brooklet  nearby  and  rode  on  in  single  file  along 
the  narrow  path  through  the  trees.  About  half  an  hour 
of  riding  brought  them  out  on  a  fine  expanse  of  meadow,  the 
Monk's  Meadows,  that  was  their  objective.  Here  Layburn 
suggested  that  Alistair  should  go  with  Ted  and  Monte  in 
one  direction  catching  up  any  strays  they  might  come  across 
on  their  way.  After  driving  these  out  at  the  hole  in  the 
fence  where  they  had  got  through,  they  would  mend  it  and 
then  ride  back  again  to  meet  him  and  Lorraine  when  they 
would  all  ride  home  together.  Alistair  fancied  he  could 
detect  a  slight  awkwardness  in  the  man's  manner  as  he 
made  the  suggestion  and  he  intercepted  a  glance  of  under- 
standing that  passed  between  Ted  and  Monte. 

"Hadn't  Mr.  Kilgour  better  come  with  us,  Olney?"  the 
girl  asked.  "He  wants  to  learn  as  much  as  he  can  and  you 
are  best  able  to  tell  him." 

"Oh,  Ted  can  tell  him  as  well  as  I  can,"  was  the  reply; 
"and  it'll  be  easier  going  that  way.  It  isn't  so  hilly  and, 
I  guess,  Mr.  Kilgour  will  have  had  quite  enough,  as  it  is, 
when  he  gets  home  since  he  hasn't  been  riding  much.  No, 
you  and  I'll  go  by  ourselves." 

She  was  opening  her  mouth  to  speak  again ;  but  he 
frowned  at  her.  Then  silently  she  turned  her  horse  around 
and  she  and  Layburn  rode  off  together  to  the  right. 

There  was  then  nothing  for  Alistair  to  do  but  to  accom- 
pany Ted  and  Monte  who  at  once  reined  off  to  the  left. 
They  had  not  proceeded  far  before,  as  they  reached  the 
crest  of  one  of  the  slight  eminences  that  lay  in  their  way — ■ 
for  the  range  here  was  undulating  like  the  ocean  in  a  heavy 
swell — Monte's  dogs  started  a  coyote  not  far  off  and  imme- 
diately gave  chase.  With  a  shout  their  master  was  after 
them  and  Ted  and  Alistair  followed  as  fast  as  the  horses 
could  go.  It  was  a  furious  run  while  it  lasted  and,  to 
Alistair,  a  most  exhilarating  one. 

Soon  the  coyote  got  into  a  sort  of  dry  ditch  that  ran 
around  the  foot  of  the  low  bluff  and  here  the  dogs  finally 
pulled  him  down  and  were  worrying  him  fiercely  when 


120  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

Monte  and  the  others  came  up.  He  was  off  his  horse  in  a 
moment  and  put  an  end  to  the  animal's  misery  with  two 
or  three  blows  on  the  head  from  the  loaded  end  of  his 
quirt.  The  dogs  whined  as  he  drove  them  off  with  a  cut 
or  two  from  the  other  end  of  it. 

Alistair  looked  down  with  interest  on  this  little  outcast  of 
the  hills  of  whose  depredations  he  had  heard.  It  did  not 
look  nearly  so  formidable  a  creature  as  he  had  supposed  from 
the  deadly  reputation  that  it  bore.  It  was  a  little  larger  than 
the  foxes  that  he  had  been  accustomed  to  hunt  at  home  but 
not  nearly  so  handsome ;  the  fur  was  of  a  dull,  mottled  grey, 
shaggy  and  unhealthy  looking;  the  nose  not  so  pointed  and 
the  head  altogether  heavier  with  more  of  the  wolf  in  it. 

"This  one's  hide  ain't  worth  much,"  Monte  said.  "He's 
got  the  mange  too  bad.  There's  three  dollars  of  a  bounty 
though  an'  I've  got  to  take  his  scalp  off  to  get  it  too." 

Suiting  the  action  to  the  word,  he  pulled  out  a  big  clasp- 
knife  from  his  pocket  and,  opening  it,  he  severed  the  ani- 
mal's scalp  from  its  body.  Then  he  tied  it  on  to  the  back 
of  his  saddle. 

Another  half  hour  of  riding  brought  them  to  the  fence 
they  were  to  mend  and  there  was  some  swearing  from 
Monte  when  he  saw  the  serious  extent  of  the  breach.  It  was 
a  plain,  log  fence,  the  logs  being  held  in  place  partly  by  their 
own  weight  and  partly  by  ingeniously  nicked  crosspieces 
on  which  they  rested  and  which  kept  them  from  rolling  off. 
Alistair  watched  with  interest  for  some  time  the  skilful  way 
in  which  Ted  and  Monte  built  them  up.  At  first  he  tried 
to  assist  with  the  lifting  of  the  heavier  logs  until  it  was 
made  very  plain  to  him  that  his  assistance  was  not  wanted. 
Monte  had  unbent  for  a  moment  in  the  excitement  of  his 
capture  of  the  coyote,  but  it  was  evident  that  the  lapse  had 
been  only  momentary;  and  Ted  made  no  secret  of  the  fact 
that  his  hostile  feelings  had  not  altered,  although  for  politic 
reasons  it  might  be  necessary  to  hold  them  under  control. 
At  the  same  time  there  was  a  something  furtive  in  his 
manner  that  puzzled  Alistair.  Sometimes  he  seemed  to  be 
depressed ;  and  again  he  was  mildly  hilarious  with  his  com- 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  121 

panion,  laughing  loudly  over  little  jokes  that  he  would  make 
as  they  proceeded  with  their  work. 

The  afternoon  passed  away  slowly  but  not  all  unpleas- 
antly for  Alistair.  It  was  well  on  to  five  o'clock  before 
the  fence  menders  had  finished  their  work  and  as  yet  there 
was  no  sign  of  the  others  rejoining  them. 

"Guess  we'd  better  be  goin'  back.  I'll  bet  Olney  and 
Lorraine  must  have  got  sidetracked  somewhere  an'  we 
needn't  wait  for  them.  Likely  they  may  be  home  by  this 
time,"  said  Ted  when  he  and  Monte  after  getting  on  their 
horses  had  come  over  to  where  Alistair  was  sitting.  The 
latter  had  already  tightened  his  cinch  on  seeing  them  making 
ready;  and  he  mounted  at  once  and  the  three  rode  off 
together. 

"We're  going  home  by  a  different  way,"  Ted  continued, 
"so  as  to  show  you  as  much  of  the  country  as  we  can." 

There  was  a  sneer  in  his  tone  that  Alistair  did  not  like 
and,  glancing  sideways,  he  caught  a  look  of  understanding 
that  passed  between  him  and  the  cowboy. 

"Sure,  Ted,"  said  Monte ;  "the  gentleman's  wanting  expe- 
rience and  it's  up  to  you  to  see  that  he  gets  a  chance.  We 
didn't  come  the  purtiest  way,  not  near,  when  we  come  out 
this  mornin'.  We  might  mebbe  just  have  to  ride  the  least 
bit  harder  on  the  road  back,  but  the  horses  are  fresh  enough 
an'  they  always  go  good  goin'  home." 

There  was  certainly  no  doubt  about  them  having  to  ride 
harder.  The  way  was  more  hilly,  leading  across  deep 
ravines  where  it  was  necessary  to  keep  to  a  narrow  trail 
and  ride  in  single  file,  continually  watching  not  to  strike 
one's  head  on  the  branches  of  the  trees  or  have  one's  eyes 
put  out  by  projecting  snags.  Alistair  rode  behind  and  the 
others  set  a  swift  pace  considering  the  nature  of  the  track. 
Hammerhead  followed  as  well  as  he  could,  although  held 
back  somewhat  by  Alistair  at  times  where  the  brush  over- 
head was  so  thick  that  one,  inexperienced  as  he  was,  found 
it  difficult  to  avoid  being  swept  from  his  saddle  or  badly 
torn.  Wherever  the  going  was  clear  above,  he  permitted  the 
horse  to  take  his  own  way.    It  was  wonderful  to  see  the 


122  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

surefootedness  of  the  animal  going  down  steep  declivities 
that  seemed  more  fit  for  a  goat  to  negotiate  than  a  horse 
with  a  man  on  its  back.  It  was  enough  to  make  anyone 
nervous  who  was  not  used  to  it  and  Alistair  was  half 
amused,  half  annoyed  as  he  realised  now  the  meaning  of 
Ted's  look  of  conspiracy.  They  had  thought  to  give  him 
a  bad  half  hour  if  even  at  the  expense  of  their  own  com- 
fort. Well,  he  would  grit  his  teeth  and  take  his  medicine. 
To  be  sure,  the  danger  was  slight  so  long  as  his  horse  kept 
its  footing. 

Nor  could  he  complain  that  the  scenery  of  their  ride  was 
not  finer  than  that  of  the  route  they  had  come  by  in  the  morn- 
ing, but  the  swiftness  of  their  pace  and  the  difficulties  of 
the  path  gave  him  small  chance  to  enjoy  it. 

At  last  they  had  emerged  from  the  timber  and  had  got 
among  a  series  of  grassy  mounds  on  the  sidehill.  As  they 
were  climbing  one  of  these — Alistair  slightly  in  the  rear, 
for  he  had  striven  hard  to  keep  up,  not  wishing  to  be  left 
behind  to  find  his  way  home  alone — all  at  once  he  felt  his 
saddle  slipping  back  on  to  the  loins  of  his  horse.  Feeling 
that  it  might  turn  with  him  any  moment,  he  threw  himself 
off  and  set  to  work  to  tighten  it.  The  task  was  a  little 
difficult  owing  to  the  steepness  of  the  ground  he  was  stand- 
ing on  and  the  horse's  impatience  to  follow  the  others. 
When  he  mounted  again  and  crested  the  summit  of  the 
little  eminence,  as  he  had  feared,  he  found  that  his  com- 
panions had  passed  out  of  sight.  There  were  other  mounds 
to  the  right  and  to  the  left  of  him ;  but  which  way  they  had 
turned,  it  was  impossible  to  tell.  Owing  to  the  waning 
light  and  the  hardness  of  the  turf,  he  could  not  track  the 
horses'  hoofs.  They  must  be  riding  down  one  of  the  hills, 
but  which  was  it?  The  only  thing  he  could  do  was  to 
choose  one  and  ascend  as  quickly  as  he  could  in  the  hope 
that  he  would  find  them  in  view  when  he  got  to  the  top. 

This  he  did;  but  only  to  find  that  he  must  have  chosen 
unfortunately,  for  there  was  no  one  in  sight.  However, 
he  was  not  at  all  alarmed  as  he  felt  that  he  had  a  fair  idea 
of  the  general  direction  of  Inshallah  house  and  that  he  was 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  123 

not  very  far  away  from  it.  He  felt  reasonably  sure  that 
the  horse  would  take  him  home  if  left  to  itself.  Indeed  it 
seemed  to  have  no  doubt  as  to  its  way  as  it  kept  moving 
steadily  along.  With  its  ears  pricked  forward  it  looked 
anxiously  for  some  signs  of  the  others.  Soon,  a  horse- 
man appeared  in  the  distance  and  the  animal  whinnied  with 
pleasure.  Alistair  felt  relieved,  thinking  that  it  was  one  of 
his  companions  that  had  turned  to  find  him;  but  to  his 
disappointment,  it  proved  to  be  a  stranger,  a  tall,  lean  rancher 
on  a  small  bay  pony,  who  drew  rein  as  he  met  them. 

"Am  I  in  the  right  direction  for  the  De  Roche  place?" 
said  Alistair. 

"You're  in  the  right  direction,  I  guess,"  said  the  stranger 
after  scanning  him  curiously  for  a  moment,  "but  you've  got 
a  goodish  bit  to  travel  yet." 

"Is  that  so?  How  far  would  it  be?"  asked  Alistair 
anxiously.  "I  have  got  separated  from  my  friends  and  I 
don't  know  the  country  at  all." 

"Oh,  about  four  or  five  miles,  mebbe;  but  it's  rather  a 
tough  trail  if  you  don't  know  it.  You're  Mr.  Kilgour, 
are  n't  you?  I  saw  you  at  White's  the  other  night  wkh 
Jimmy  Appleby.  You'd  better  come  along  home  with  me. 
I'm  pretty  near  there  now;  and  though  it's  a  poor  place, 
I  can  give  you  a  bed  all  right  and  a  bit  o'  supper." 

Andy  Wilmot,  for  this  was  he,  was  nothing  loath  to  have 
a  chance  to  find  out  all  about  this  young  Britisher  who  had 
come  to  take  some  of  the  pride  out  of  these  De  Roches. 
As  for  Alistair  he  accepted  the  invitation  with  alacrity 
and,  turning  his  horse's  head,  he  rode  along  in  silence 
behind  his  new  host. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

NO,  you  folks  haven't  had  a  square  deal  from  Layburn," 
said  Andy  Wilmot.  "There  weren't  no  reason  even 
though  things  have  been  kind  o'  bad  for  the  last  two  years 
why  Inshallah  shouldn't  have  paid  well  enough  so  as  to  give 
you  folks  your  interest." 

Alistair  and  he  had  just  partaken  of  a  supper  of  tea 
and  fried  eggs.  Now  they  were  sitting  on  the  rough  porch 
outside  the  homesteader's  log  shanty.  The  young  man  had 
not  been  able  to  conceal  altogether  his  annoyance  at  the 
cavalier  treatment  he  had  received  in  the  afternoon ;  and 
Andy's  sympathy  was  not  ungrateful  to  him.  Furthermore, 
he  felt  that  he  might  gain  information  that  would  be  of  use. 

"Do  you  think  that  he  has  been  deliberately  dishonest 
in  the  business,  then  ?"  he  asked,  turning  round  to  face  the 
speaker,  who  was  half -sitting  half -reclining  on  a  canvas 
hammock. 

"I  hain't  got  any  doubt  about  it,"  was  the  reply.  "I've 
had  my  eye  on  Olney  Layburn  ever  since  he  done  me  a 
dirty  trick  over  two  years  ago,  an'  if  he  ain't  been  just 
bleedin'  that  Inshallah  outfit  an'  old  De  Roche,  I'll  eat  my 
quirt,  that's  all." 

"The  man  surely  wouldn't  cheat  his  own  uncle,"  said 
Alistair. 

"Wouldn't  he  though  ?  Why,  Olney  Layburn  would  cheat 
the  mother  that  bore  him  just  as  quick  as  I  would  fool  the 
tax  assessor  when  he  comes  round  to  value  my  place.  Why 
is  it  that  De  Roche  has  so  few  calves  in  the  last  two  years, 
tell  me  that?  I'll  bet  they  didn't  have  no  sixty  per  cent 
o'  what  they  used  to  have — that  is,  that  they  didn't  brand 
no  sixty  per  cent,  I  mean.  The  other  forty  per  cent,  Mr. 
Olney  has  been  saltin'  away  for  his  own  self.  He's  keepin' 
them  over  at  that  half  section  of  old  Bill  Riley's  that  died 

124 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  125 

this  two  years  back  of  pneumonia.  He's  got  Pete  Smaill, 
a  half-breed,  workin'  it  for  him ;  an'  he's  got  far  more  young 
cattle  runnin'  about  them  hills  with  his  brand  on  them  than 
he  ever  bought  or  his  cows  ever  calved." 

"You  mean  that  he  took  the  De  Roche  calves  for  him- 
self and  put  his  own  brand  on  them?  Surely  that  would 
be  impossible?" 

"Impossible  nothin',  when  there's  nobody  around  lookin' 
after  things !  Why  is  it,  will  you  tell  me,  that  Layburn, 
ever  since  old  De  Roche  has  been  sick  hasn't  had  a  real 
cowboy  workin'  at  Inshallah  at  all,  'cept  Dick  Evie?  and 
Dick  knows  enough  to  keep  his  eyes  shut.  He  got  rid  of 
Syd  Maddox  who  was  as  good  a  man  as  ever  put  a  leg 
over  a  horse  and  the  best  roper  round  this  district.  Syd 
•was  too  honest,  that  was  what  was  the  matter.  Now  these 
men  they  have,  are  all  just  ord'nary  farm  hands — can't  ride 
for  nuts.  What  did  he  have  to  go  an'  hire  Monte  for  to-day 
instead  o'  takin'  one  of  his  own  men.  There  ain't  one 
of  them  can  ride;  an'  if  they  did  he  wouldn't  want  to  take 
them  in  case  they  might  catch  on  to  what  he  was  up  to." 

"But  there's  young  Ted  De  Roche,  surely  he  would  sus- 
pect what  was  going  on.    He  is  not  exactly  a  fool,  I  take  it." 

"No,  but  Layburn  has  him  pretty  much  under  his  thumb ; 
an'  he  gets  him  soused  every  now  an'  again.  No,  Ted  ain't 
very  hard  to  fool.  His  sister  should  ha'  been  the  boy  an' 
she  might  ha'  sized  up  how  things  was  goin'.  Of  course, 
she  ain't  much  out  on  the  range  an'  she  wouldn't  notice 
what  the  like  of  a  real  rider  would." 

"Has  Layburn  been  selling  the  stock  that  you  say  he  has 
stolen  ?" 

"Not  yet,  he  hasn't.  They're  all  young  critters  one  an' 
two-year-olds.  I  bet  he's  talked  to  you  a  lot  about  the  big 
losses  he's  had  from  blackleg.  Well,  you  take  it  from  me 
he  didn't  lose  half — no,  nor  a  quarter  of  the  critturs  that 
he  said  he  did  from  blackleg — it  was  another  kind  of  black- 
leg got  them  an'  that  was  Olney  Layburn.  They're  over  in 
Blake's  Meadows  now  with  his  brand  on  them  as  healthy 
as  they  ever  were ;  an'  one  of  these  fine  days  they'll  be  goin' 


126  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

down  to  Calgary  as  Layburn's  beef  or  he'll  have  a   fat 
cheque  in  his  pocket." 

"Well,  he  hasn't  acted  with  me  as  if  everything  was 
square  and  ^boveboard,"  said  Alistair;  "or  he  would  have 
been  a  little  more  civil.  I  came  to  him  with  a  business 
proposition  and  I  should  have  been  met  in  a  businesslike 
way.  Instead  I  find  myself  held  up  and  robbed  and  an 
attempt  made  to  drive  me  out  of  the  country.  I  can't  help 
thinking  that  the  De  Roches  were  the  instigators  of  that 
outrage  though,  no  doubt,  they  took  good  care  not  to  let 
their  hand  be  seen." 

"Did  they,  though  ?  Well,  I  am  not  so  sure  about  it.  May- 
be I'm  wise  about  that,  too.  As  it  happened,  I  know  who  was 
mixed  up  in  that  job — that  is,  I  know  who  were  the  men 
that  did  the  trick  itself.    Ted  De  Roche  was  one  of  them. 

"Well,  it  happened  that  I  noticed  the  three  of  them  turn 
off  the  main  road  up  to  Appleby's  that  night — I  had  left 
Tim  White's  an'  I  had  seen  Ted  go  out  with  Monte  and 
Jack  Beckles  an'  I  kind  of  thought  that  I  recognised  the 
horses.  'These  beggars  are  up  to  somethin',  I  says  to 
myself;  'and  I  think  I'll  just  see  what  it  is.'  So  I  went 
over  into  the  brush  an'  tied  up  my  horse;  an'  I  followed 
them  on  foot  as  fast  as  I  could.  When  I  saw  them  go  into 
Appleby's  house,  I  went  up  on  to  the  porch  and  peeked  in 
the  window  and  watched  the  whole  business.  I  even  saw 
Monte  pick  your  pocketbook  out  of  your  jacket." 

"But  didn't  it  occur  to  you  to  attempt  a  rescue?"  asked 
Alistair,  somewhat  nettled. 

"Waall,  to  be  sure  it  might  have  occurred  to  me,"  said 
his  host  with  just  a  shade  of  embarrassment.  "You  see 
that  Monte's  known  to  be  a  pretty  sure  shot  with  his  gun. 
Now  it  hardly  appeared  to  be  worth  while  to  take  a  risk 
of  interferin'  in  a  little  party  of  that  kind  for  a  purfect 
stranger.  The  joke  was  on  you;  an'  I  didn't  see  no  real 
strong  reason  why  Andy  Wilmot  should  take  the  chance  of 
a  bit  o'  lead  in  his  innards  to  help  a  tenderfoot  out  of 
trouble.  To  tell  the  truth,  it  seemed  rather  a  good  lark  to 
me  at  the  time.     Besides,  I  didn't  happen  to  have  a  gun 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  127 

with  me.  I  thought  it  a  leetle  bit  thick,  you  know,  that 
Monte  should  have  swiped  your  pocketbook — I  did  think 
that  was  playin'  the  game  a  leetle  too  strong." 

"It  makes  the  matter  a  felony  for  which  Master  Ted 
and  his  friends  would  have  to  serve  time  if  you  were  to 
tell  what  you  now  say  in  the  witness-box,"  said  Alistair 
with  a  touch  of  sternness.  "Would  you  be  willing  to  testify 
if  required?" 

Andy  took  the  stump,  which  was  all  that  remained  of  his 
cigar,  out  of  his  mouth  and  laying  it  on  the  verandah  floor 
carefully  stamped  it  out  before  replying. 

"Well,  pardner,  that  depends,"  he  said  with  a  note  of 
reserve.  "It's  right  enough  that  I  have  a  grouch  against 
the  Inshallah  folk;  but  I  don't  know  quite  as  it's  as  bad 
as  that — not  against  Ted  at  least.  If  it  were  Layburn  now 
— that  would  be  a  different  story;  but  Layburn  wasn't 
there." 

"Don't  you  think  that  he  was  in  all  probability  behind 
the  escapade  ?"  asked  Alistair. 

"He  might  have  been  and  then  again  he  mightn't,"  was 
the  guarded  reply.  "I'm  sure  of  this  much,  that  it  was  the 
others,  Monte  and  Jack,  that  put  Ted  up  to  it.  He  was 
too  drunk  to  know  what  he  was  doin' ;  an'  I'll  bet  it  worries 
him  quite  a  lot  now.  Ted  ain't  cut  out  for  a  real  bad  actor. 
He's  just  naturally  weak ;  he  ain't  vicious  at  all.  Now  that 
Layburn,  he's  a  mean  cuss;  an'  like  as  not  he  put  Monte 
up  to  it  but  had  sense  enough  to  keep  out  himself.  If  ye 
got  real  plumb  up  against  it  with  him  now  an'  ye  needed 
my  help,  I'm  not  sayin'  that  I  wouldn't  be  givin'  it  to  you." 

"You're  canny  enough  to  have  been  a  Scotsman,  Mr. 
Wilmot,"  said  Alistair  smiling. 

His  host  was  about  to  reply  when  his  attention  was  taken 
by  a  figure  on  horseback  that  suddenly  appeared  before  them 
in  the  dim  light.     He  stood  up  and  peered  at  it  curiously. 

"Why,  it's  Miss  De  Roche!"  he  said  in  surprise. 

"Is  Mr.  Kilgour  here?"  asked  a  voice  that  was  rather 
breathless,  which  Alistair  quickly  recognised  as  hers. 

"Oh,  I  am  so  glad,"  she  said  with  a  sigh  of  relief  as  he 


128  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

stood  up  and  she  recognised  him.  "I  was  afraid  that  you 
might  be  lost  and  Father  is  waiting  up  for  you.  He  couldn't 
understand  why  you  didn't  arrive  with  the  others.  Would 
you  mind  coming  home  at  once?" 

There  was  nothing  else  to  be  done  but  to  accompany  the 
girl  without  delay ;  for  her  distress  was  manifest.  Wilmot 
asked  her  to  stay  and  have  something  to  eat,  but  it  was 
evident  that  she  was  impatient  to  be  gone.  So  poor 
Hammerhead  was  unceremoniously  hurried  out  of  the  stable 
and  saddled  as  quickly  as  possible.  Then,  with  a  hurried 
good-night  to  the  homesteader,  the  couple  were  soon  riding 
at  a  smart  walk  down  the  trail  towards  Inshallah. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

WHY  didn't  you  let  Mr.  Kilgour  come  with  us  ?"  asked 
Lorraine  with  a  tone  of  annoyance  as  soon  as  she 
and  Olney  were  out  of  earshot  of  the  others.  "It  was  most 
unwise  to  say  the  least." 

"I  had  my  reasons  right  enough,  Lorraine,  and  I'll  tell 
you  what  they  were  just  as  soon  as  we  get  our  work  done. 
Let's  get  busy  with  that  first  and  then  we'll  have  time  to 
talk ;  and  I  have  a  whole  lot  to  say." 

He  had  put  spurs  to  his  horse  and  was  going  at  a  gallop 
which  her  own  horse  quickly  emulated ;  and  the  girl  was 
forced  to  let  the  matter  drop  for  the  time.  Nor  did  they 
slacken  pace  appreciably  for  over  an  hour  or  so  except 
occasionally  where  they  came  up  with  scattered  groups  of 
cattle  when  they  stopped  sometimes  to  make  sure  of  the 
brands.  They  came  across  no  strays  from  other  herds, 
however.  At  last,  when  they  had  compassed  a  wide  half 
circle  and  had  climbed  to  the  top  of  a  high  bluff  enjoying 
a  fine  prospect  of  the  surrounding  range,  Layburn  proposed 
that  they  should  dismount  and  sit  down  under  the  shade 
of  a  bullpine  that  stood  sentinel  at  the  top.  They  threw 
down  the  horses'  lines  for  them  to  graze.  The  girl  was  the 
first  to  take  her  seat  on  a  smooth  rock  and  Layburn  took 
his  place  beside  her  so  close  that  at  first  she  made  a  slight 
movement  as  if  she  would  draw  herself  away  but  so  faint 
and  so  quickly  arrested  that  he  did  not  notice  it.  There  was 
perhaps  a  suspicion  of  embarrassment  in  his  mien — if 
embarrassment  were  possible  to  Olney  Layburn.  Perhaps 
this  had  communicated  itself  to  her  for  she  was  plainly 
a  little  perturbed  as  was  evidenced  by  a  faint  flush  that 
mantled  on  her  cheek. 

"Now,  let's  talk,"  he  said,  "and  maybe  you'll  understand 
why  I  didn't  want  to  have  the  Britisher  along.     Let  him 

129 


i3o  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

have  a  chance  to  get  better  acquainted  with  Ted  and  Monte, 
especially  Monte.  They  don't  either  of  them  have  any 
special  love  for  him,  do  they;  an'  I  guess  they  won't  make 
the  afternoon  any  too  pleasant  for  his  lordship." 

"And  that's  the  very  reason  why  you  should  have  kept 
him  with  us  when  you  know  how  much  depends  on  keeping 
him  in  good-humour,"  Lorraine  protested.  "We  can't  afford 
to  follow  our  own  feelings  in  the  matter." 

"Let's  talk  about  something  pleasant,"  said  Olney. 
"Lorraine,  how  long  is  it  now  that  we  have  known  each 
other  ?" 

"I  guess  it  must  be  about  two  years  since  you  came  up 
from  Montana,  Olney.  You  ought  to  know  well  enough 
without  asking  me,  don't  you  think  ?" 

"Just  a  slip  of  a  kid  you  were  then  and  a  bit  of  a  tom- 
boy too ;  and  when  I  used  to  tease  you  about  it  you  used 
to  try  to  get  even  with  me  by  mimicking  my  Yankee  accent. 
There  is  quite  a  change  in  you  since  then." 

"I  had  to  grow  up  some  time,  I  suppose,"  said  Lorraine, 
a  little  nonplussed  by  a  something  unusual  in  his  tone. 

"Yet,  when  I  came  here  to  see  you  all  for  the  first  time, 
I  never  intended  to  stay  more  than  a  month  at  most, 
Lorraine.  There  was  a  good  job  waiting  for  me  down  in 
Montana  as  soon  as  I  would  go  back;  and  what  do  you 
suppose  made  me  stay?" 

"I  suppose  you  liked  the  country  and — and  us  so  much 
that  you  could  not  make  up  your  mind  to  leave  it  again," 
said  Lorraine  with  a  slight  laugh.  "There  are  plenty  of 
people  come  up  here  to  the  Dry  Belt  and  never  want  to 
go  away  again;  some  of  them,  to  be  sure,  are  asthmatics 
and  lungers  and  they  simply  daren't." 

He  frowned  slightly  at  her  flippancy  and  then  put  his 
right  hand  over  her  left  as  it  lay  in  her  lap,  clasping  it 
firmly. 

"You  know  very  well,  dear,  what  it  was  that  kept  me. 
It  wasn't  the  country  and  it  wasn't  the  climate  but  it  was 
you — I  simply  couldn't  bear  to  leave  you.  I  hadn't  been 
here  a  week  before  I  said  to  myself,  this  little  girl  is  just 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  131 

the  wife  for  me ;  and  I  vowed  that  I  would  wait  for  you. 
Now  the  time  has  surely  come — the  time  when  you  need  me 
— and  I  cannot  wait  any  longer." 

The  girl  shrank  a  little  at  his  touch  and  would  have  drawn 
her  hand  away  but  he. held  it  too  tightly. 

"Things  cannot  remain  as  they  were,  Lorraine,"  he  went 
on,  "I  must  have  your  answer  now.  I  love  you  and  I  cannot 
wait.  If  you  are  to  give  me  the  go-by,  then  it's  time  that 
I  was  gettin'  back  to  Arizona  where  there  is  more  money 
to  be  picked  up  than  there  ever  will  be  here.  An'  if  I  should, 
what  will  your  father  do?  This  beggarly  Britisher  will 
have  you  sold  up,  lock,  stock  and  barrel,  before  you  know 
where  you  are.     An'  then  there's  Ted." 

The  girl  had  hidden  her  face  in  her  hands,  as  at  last  he 
suffered  her  to  pull  her  left  from  under  his.  There  was  a 
hard  light  in  his  eyes  and  a  cruel  twist  to  his  mouth  as  he 
looked  down  upon  the  fair,  bowed  head  on  the  slender 
column  of  her  neck  gleaming  white  in  contrast  to  the 
tan  of  the  little  hands  that  half  the  time  wore  no  gloves. 
"What's  to  become  of  Ted  if  I  should  go  away,  I  wonder. 
He's  bad  enough  to  hold  now." 

"Oh,  I  know — I  know "  she  cried,  "I  cannot  sleep  at 

nights  for  thinking  of  him, — but  I  cannot  do  what  you  want 
me  to  now.  It  isn't  fair  to  ask  me,  Olney.  Give  me  time 
till  I  get  used  to  the  thought  of  it;  and  maybe  after  a  while 
and  things  are  all  straightened  out  and  the  mortgage  paid 
and  Father  better  again,  then  we  can  talk  about  it.  I 
couldn't  think  of  such  things  just  now  when  everything  is 
going  so  badly.  It  wouldn't  be  right,"  and  she  turned  to 
face  him  again,  the  tones  of  pleading  in  her  voice  giving 
way  somewhat  to  a  new  note  of  firmness  and  decision. 

"Things  will  go  worse  then,  Lorraine,"  he  said  sternly; 
"and  yours  will  be  the  blame.  Love  like  mine — for  I  love 
you,  little  girl" — and  his  voice  was  thick  with  the  excess  of 
his  emotions — "I  love  you  with  a  love  so  strong  that  you 
dare  not  trifle  with  it.  I'm  not  one  of  your  sighing,  mealy- 
mouthed  sort  of  lovers — nothin'  of  that  sort  for  mine.  I 
had  a  little  mare  once  that  I  thought  the  world  of — she  was 


132  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

a  thoroughbred  and  as  nervous  an'  highstrung  as  they  make 
them,  so  rattleheaded  that  when  you  took  her  out  after 
cattle  she  got  so  plumb  crazy  that  you  couldn't  do  nothin' 
with  her ;  but  to  ride  on  the  road  you  couldn't  have  a  kinder 
or  better  little  mount.  She'd  carry  you  along  all  day  and  be 
as  easy  and  chirpy  on  the  last  mile  as  she  would  on  the 
first. 

"Well,  I  vowed  I'd  break  her  to  go  out  after  stock  an' 
I  did;  but  it  was  her  neck  I  broke  before  I  was  through. 
Now  I'm  warning  you  fair  so  you  won't  make  no  mistakes." 

The  girl,  white  with  anger,  rose  to  her  feet,  as  he  did  also ; 
and  for  a  moment  she  stood  facing  him,  her  lips  quivering  as 
she  tried  to  speak. 

"No,  don't  you  say  a  word  until  I  am  done,"  he  went  on, 
looking  down  on  her  darkly.  "We'll  let  this  matter  drop 
until  the  dance,  the  night  of  the  Rexham  Fair,  and  then 
everybody'll  have  to  be  told  that  we're  to  be  married.  I 
daresay  that  I  brought  this  a  bit  sudden  on  you  an'  it's  only 
right  that  you  should  get  a  chance  to  get  used  to  the  idea ; 
so  I'll  ask  you  again  just  before  that  an'  don't  you  say  no 
then." 

She  had  never  looked  more  alluring  to  him  than  now 
as  she  gazed  up  at  him.  Her  tongue  was  speechless  but  her 
eyes  were  eloquent  of  her  anger  and  her  face  quivering  with 
the  play  of  conflicting  emotions. 

"Don't  be  angry  with  me,  Lorraine,  dear,  if  my  wooing 
is  a  bit  rough.  Anyway,  I  mean  it  when  I  say  I  love  you," 
and  his  tone  was  again  soft  and  coaxing.  "I've  kissed  you 
before  in  a  cousinly  way,  but  I'll  kiss  you  now  right — so 
you'll  know  I  mean  what  I  say" — and  in  a  moment  he  had 
seized  her  in  his  arms  and  had  kissed  her  not  once  but  sev- 
eral times  in  a  mad  ecstasy  of  passion.  Realising,  after  her 
first  impulse  to  resist,  her  utter  helplessness  she  lay  still  in 
his  arms  until  he  released  her. 

She  stood  before  him  white  to  the  lips  and  a  slight 
shudder  passed  over  her  slender  figure. 

"If  you  are  quite  finished  with  me  now  I  think  that  we 
shall  go  home,"  she  said  with  a  curious  expressionless  pre- 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  133 

cision  of  utterance.  And  without  another  word  they  both 
turned  to  seek  their  horses  that  had  been  cropping  the  grass 
quietly  within  a  short  distance.  She  mounted  unaided  and 
rode  on  slowly  homewards  while  he  stood  watching  her  for 
a  moment,  slightly  at  a  loss  to  know  what  were  her  feelings. 
Then  he  jumped  on  his  horse  and  followed. 


CHAPTER  XX 

LORRAINE  had  arrived  home  with  Layburn  to  find 
that  Ted  and  Monte  were  there  before  them  sitting 
rather  moodily  in  the  harness  room,  and  without  Mr. 
Kilgour.  Ted  explained  with  a  slight  embarrassment  that 
the  latter  had  dropped  behind  and  they  had  lost  him.  They 
had  not  troubled  to  go  back  after  him.  Layburn  had  then 
remarked  sulkily  that  it  would  be  a  good  thing  if  he  did 
get  lost  and  break  his  neck  over  some  cliff  and  then  they 
would  be  rid  of  him  for  good ;  but  Ted  with  his  eyes  on 
his  sister's  face  saw  that  she  did  not  by  any  means  share 
in  this  sentiment.  Ted  was  fond  of  his  sister  and  the  sight 
of  the  distress  that  was  written  all  over  it  gave  him  a  pang, 
even  although  he  had  troubles  of  his  own  that  were  lying 
heavy  on  his  spirits.  Ever  since  the  night  of  the  holdup, 
Monte  had  assumed  somewhat  of  a  domineering  attitude 
towards  him.  In  spite  of  Ted's  efforts  to  assert  his  inde- 
pendence, he  was  made  to  understand  somehow  that  after 
that  escapade  the  law  had  a  claim  on  him;  and  that  his 
co-partnership  with  Monte  and  Jack  Beckles  involved  a 
certain  intimacy  and  dependence  which  was  very  galling. 
Lorraine  was  in  dismay  because  she  felt  that  she  had 
done  wrong  in  allowing  Mr.  Kilgour  to  be  sent  off  sepa- 
rately from  Layburn  and  herself.  It  galled  her  to  think 
that  they  had  again  placed  themselves  in  the  wrong  by  this 
piece  of  unnecessary  rudeness.  What  concerned  her  even 
more,  however,  was  the  thought  of  her  father's  annoyance 
and  anxiety  if  he  should  find  out  what  had  happened.  This 
fear  was  quickly  justified,  too,  by  the  appearance  of  Miss 
Paget  to  beg  them  to  come  in  without  delay  as  Captain 
Trelawny  was  with  Mr.  De  Roche  and  the  latter  was  very 
anxious  for  the  Captain  to  meet  his  guest,  whom  he  regarded 
as  an  acquisition  to  the  district.     To  Lorraine's  dismay 

134 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  135 

while  she  was  talking  to  her  aunt,  she  found  that  Ted  and 
Monte  had  slipped  away  and  mounting  their  horses,  which 
they  had  not  unsaddled,  had  ridden  off.  She  had  intended  to 
ask  them  to  go  back  and  meet  Mr.  Kilgour.  Layburn  also 
had  disappeared  or  she  would  have  asked  him.  She  then 
decided  that  she  would  go  herself.  Her  aunt  must  try  to 
keep  her  father  pacified  until  she  came  back.  She  had  sad- 
dled her  horse  again  and  ridden  off  swiftly.  Seeing  no  signs 
of  the  missing  one,  she  had  gone  straight  to  Andy  Wilmot's 
and  had   found  him  there  as  we  have  seen. 

As  she  and  Alistair  rode  down  the  rough  trail  from 
Andy's  house  together,  her  mind  was  in  a  chaos  of  conflict- 
ing emotions.  Her  cousin's  blunt  and  precipitate  proposal 
of  marriage,  proffered  in  such  a  way  as  to  outrage  her  self- 
respect,  and  his  covert  threat  in  case  she  should  not  accept 
it,  lay  like  a  load  on  her  heart.  Then  Ted's  sneaking  off 
with  Monte  had  borne  in  upon  her  the  power  which  the  man 
and  his  companions  were  fastening  upon  him.  Her  feel- 
ings towards  Alistair,  it  must  be  confessed,  were  anything  but 
kindly;  and  although  she  realised  that  he  was  not  directly 
responsible  for  the  day's  mishaps  still  she  felt  unreasonably 
angry  with  him.  The  poor  girl  had  been  in  the  saddle  all 
day;  and  it  was  hardly  to  be  wondered  at  if  fatigue  and 
anxiety  together  had  combined  to  ruffle  her  temper. 

Alistair's  own  frame  of  mind  as  he  followed  her,  keeping 
Hammerhead's  nose  on  the  tail  of  Pronto,  was  not  by  any 
means  good-humoured.  He  was  annoyed,  first  of  all  at  the 
interruption  to  a  conversation  that  had  such  a  vital  bear- 
ing on  the  problem  which  had  brought  him  out  to  Canada 
and  his  relations  to  the  De  Roches.  Besides  this  disappoint- 
ment, he  was  tired  and  stiff  after  the  long  day's  ride ;  and 
to  have  to  mount  and  go  another  ten  miles  or  so  in  the  dark, 
at  the  curt  bidding  of  one  whose  desertion  earlier  in  the 
day  had  been  so  discourteous,  was  rather  trying  to  his 
temper. 

When  the  trail  became  wide  enough  for  two  to  ride 
abreast,  Lorraine  pulled  her  horse  to  the  right  and  checked 
him  for  a  moment  so  as  to  allow  Alistair  to  come  up  along- 


136  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

side.  For  some  time  they  rode  in  silence.  Lorraine  had 
made  up  her  mind  that  he  must  be  the  first  to  speak.  Minute 
after  minute  passed  and  still  he  kept  silent,  continuing  at 
her  side  like  some  phantom  figure,  sombre  and  indistinct  in 
the  gloom,  although  so  close  that  at  any  time  she  might  have 
put  out  her  hand  and  touched  him.  There  was  something 
weird  and  uncanny  in  the  sensation,  something  awesome 
and  menacing  that  at  last  in  the  tense  and  harrassed  state 
of  her  nerves  proved  too  strong  for  resolution  so  that  she 
felt  that  she  must  either  speak  or  scream. 

"I  suppose  you  are  feeling  very  sore  with  me — and  with 
us  all,"  she  began,  trying  to  control  her  tone  although  in 
spite  of  herself  her  voice  betrayed  a  tremor. 

"Our  feelings  often  run  away  with  our  judgment,"  he 
replied  evasively  after  a  second  of  hesitation,  resisting  with 
difficulty  the  temptation  to  accept  the  opening  she  had  given 
him;  "they  are  best,  at  times,  left  unspoken." 

Mingled  with  his  resentment  there  was  a  touch  of  pity 
born  of  the  revelations  that  had  just  come  to  him  which 
conquered  the  desire  to  upbraid  her.  She  deserved  to  be 
well  punished  for  her  behaviour  of  the  afternoon  but  he 
decided  to  defer  it  to  a  more  suitable  season.  Besides  he 
was  conscious  of  a  fear  that  the  pent-up  emotions  which 
he  sensed  under  the  low  tones  of  her  voice  might  burst 
forth  at  any  time;  and  he  shrank  from  the  possibility  of 
provoking  the  storm. 

"See  how  brightly  the  stars  shine  above  us,"  he  went  on, 
gazing  up  at  the  dark-blue,  brightly-studded  canopy.  "One 
cannot  look  long  at  them  without  realising  how  foolish  it 
is  to  let  oneself  fret  over  petty  matters.  They  help  to  lift 
one  far  above  such  trifles." 

At  this  moment  Hammerhead  stumbled  over  a  stone  in 
the  path  and  nearly  fell,  so  that  Alistair,  taken  unawares, 
narrowly  escaped  being  thrown.  A  smothered  "damn" 
slipped  from  his  lips  in  the  annoyance  which  the  incident 
produced ;  and  with  both  bit  and  heel  he  admonished  Ham- 
merhead, though,  in  truth,  the  poor  animal  was  but  little  to 
blame. 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  137 

The  explosion  that  he  had  feared  took  place ;  but  it  was 
one  of  mirth  rather  than  of  temper ;  for  Lorraine  could  not 
resist  a  ripple  of  laughter. 

"See  how  easy  it  is  to  bring  one  back  to  earth  again," 
she  said,  enjoying  his  discomfiture.  To  see  the  philosopher 
put  to  the  test  of  his  own  theories  is  ever  a  joy  to  those 
who  have  to  listen  to  his  lectures." 

"Yes,  the  tempter  is  always  ready  to  trip  one  up,"  said 
Alistair,  himself  inwardly  amused ;  "hence  the  necessity  to 
exorcise  him  in  Latin.  The  priests  were  accustomed  to  use 
it  to  frighten  the  devil  and  his  ministers." 

"Latin?"  she  echoed,  with  a  quaint  inflection  of  disbe- 
lief. "If  that's  Latin,  they  use  it  plentifully  in  the  bunk- 
house,  I  am  told." 

"The  root  is  Latin,"  he  explained;  "and  if  one  uses 
the  English  form  the  spell  is  just  as  potent." 

They  now  emerged  on  the  main  road.  Lorraine,  remem- 
bering the  need  of  haste,  started  her  horse  at  a  lope  and 
the  conversation  dropped.  Nor  did  they  draw  bridle  till 
they  turned  up  the  driveway  at  Inshallah.  One  of  the 
men  took  their  horses  when  they  reached  the  stable. 

They  entered  the  house  by  the  front  door  and  hastened  to 
join  the  company  in  the  parlour. 

The  rest  of  the  evening  was  rather  a  trial  to  Alistair. 
Miss  Pelton  and  the  Thibaults  were  there  as  well  as  Cap- 
tain Trelawny.  However,  he  made  himself  so  agreeable 
that  before  they  made  their  adieus  both  the  Thibaults  and 
the  Captain  invited  him  to  come  and  see  them. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

LORRAINE  had  spent  an  almost  sleepless  night  follow- 
ing her  cousin's  declaration  which  had  come  to  her 
as  a  bolt  out  of  the  blue.  She  liked  him  well  enough  as  her 
cousin  and  they  had  never  had  any  serious  disagreements ; 
but,  as  a  lover,  she  had  never  thought  of  him  at  all.  Indeed, 
her  heart  had  never  been  seriously  touched  by  any  man  and 
her  life  thus  far  had  been  so  full  of  other  things,  love  from 
any  standpoint  had  hardly  yet  engaged  her  thoughts. 

Her  cousin  had  given  her  until  the  Rexham  Fair  to  make 
up  her  mind  and  this  was  still  about  a  month  distant. 
Something  might  happen  before  then,  although  she  could 
not  see  what  it  was  likely  to  be.  In  the  meantime,  she  re- 
flected before  going  down  to  breakfast,  the  best  and  easiest 
way  would  be  to  treat  Olney  on  the  old  footing  as  nearly 
as  possible. 

So  at  the  breakfast  table  she  astonished  them  all  by  her 
apparent  high  spirits  and  joked  with  her  aunt  and  rallied 
her  cousin  and  Ted  in  the  most  sprightly  way  possible.  With 
Alistair,  while  she  remained  more  on  her  dignity,  still  she 
unbent  as  she  had  not  done  previously  and  drew  him  into 
the  conversation  so  as  to  make  him  feel  almost  as  if  he  were 
a  real  guest  rather  than  an  enforced  one. 

Olney  was  evidently  relieved  to  find  that  she  had  ap- 
parently forgiven  him  and  he  responded  to  her  mood  grate- 
fully. He  felt  that  he  had  gone  rather  far  and  had  shown 
his  hand  in  a  way  that  was  almost  unnecessary. 

Miss  Paget,  sitting  behind  the  coffee-pot,  was  puzzled  to 
know  what  to  make  of  Lorraine's  sudden  change  from  de- 
pression to  gaiety.  Her  sympathetic  ear,  however,  was 
quick  to  catch  a  note  of  strain  and  artificiality  in  the  girl's 
mirth,  and  Alistair,  too,  felt  that  there  was  something  forced 
about  it,  although  he  was  grateful  for  the  new  friendliness 

138 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  139 

towards  himself.  Ted  was  too  much  wrapped  up  in  his 
own  depression  to  take  much  notice.  His  evening  spent  with 
Monte  and  Jack  Beckles  had  not  been  a  pleasant  one,  in- 
deed, quite  the  reverse  although  he  had  stayed  late  and 
drank  more  than  was  good  for  him.  His  face  told  the  tale 
and  it  was  one  that  Lorraine  was  quick  to  read  although 
nothing  in  her  manner  or  expression  betrayed  how  it  sad- 
dened her. 

After  breakfast,  the  day  like  most  other  days  passed 
heavily  for  Alistair.  He  had  not  been  encouraged  to  take 
any  active  part  in  the  work  of  the  place,  pleased  as  he  would 
have  been  to  have  done  so;  but  he  tried  to  learn  all  he 
could.  Layburn  while  outwardly  civil,  thwarted  him  in 
every  way  possible. 

That  evening  after  dinner  he  played  checkers  with  Mr. 
De  Roche  and  listened  to  his  reminiscences  of  old  times  on 
the  ranges.  Ted  and  Layburn  were  out;  and  Lorraine  was 
busy  with  some  sewing.  When  Alistair  and  Mr.  De  Roche 
had  finished  their  game,  the  latter  called  on  the  girl  to  sing 
to  them.  She  had  a  sweet  and  well-trained  contralto  and 
accompanied  herself  with  taste  and  effect ;  and  Alistair  had 
learned  to  look  forward  to  her  singing  in  the  evenings.  She 
knew  that  her  father  liked  to  hear  her  and  she  never  spared 
herself  in  this,  knowing  that  it  gave  him  pleasure.  To- 
night she  sang  Kingsley's  "Three  Fishers"  and  Tennyson's 
"Home  They  Brought  Her  Warrior  Dead."  Her  voice 
which  was  full  of  temperament  gave  fine  expression  to  the 
two  songs  and  her  mood  seemed  in  sympathy  with  the 
sadness  of  their  themes.  Alistair  was  struck  by  the  dramatic 
power  with  which  she  rendered  them ;  and  as  her  clear, 
sweet  tones  rang  out,  vibrant  with  tenderness  and  emotion, 
he  guessed  that  the  depression  that  he  had  marked  at  the 
breakfast  table  was  still  upon  her. 

Mr.  De  Roche,  too,  seemed  to  feel  the  pensiveness  of  her 
mood  and  asked  for  something  more  lively,  so  rallying  her- 
self with  an  effort,  she  gave  them,  "When  the  Boys  at  Bully 
Ranch  Gave  a  Party,"  a  humorous  cowboy  song  of  which 
her  father  was  very  fond.    The  words  were  rough  but  they 


i4o  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

had  a  freedom  of  swing.    The  air  was  a  merry  and  haunting 
one  and  the  girl  sang  it  with  sprightliness  and  abandon. 

Soon  after  Mr.  De  Roche  went  upstairs  to  bed  on  his 
daughter's  arm  and  Alistair  slipped  outside  through  the 
French  window  on  to  the  verandah.  Here  he  sat  down  in 
one  of  the  armchairs,  glad  of  the  pure  night  air  after  the 
warm  room.  He  had  not  been  there  many  minutes  when 
Lorraine  rushed  out  past  him  and  threw  herself  face  down- 
wards in  the  hammock,  her  whole  frame  convulsed  in  a 
passion  of  sobbing.  In  the  shadow  of  the  creepers  where 
he  was,  it  was  evident  that  she  had  not  seen  him  and 
fancied  herself  alone. 

He  sat  still  for  a  short  space  not  knowing  in  his  em- 
barrassment what  to  do,  looking  down  on  the  slender, 
quivering  form  that  lay  before  him.  He  would  gladly  have 
slipped  quietly  away,  but  escape  was  blocked  in  both  direc- 
tions. The  heavy  climbing  plants  made  it  impossible  to 
jump  over  the  balustrade  and  the  hammock  itself,  with  its 
occupant,  lay  directly  across  between  him  and  the  French 
window  whence  he  had  emerged. 

Perhaps  it  was  that  the  girl  was  so  close  to  him  and 
looked  so  girlish  and  slender  crouched  up  in  the  hammock, 
her  neck  and  arms  gleaming  white  in  the  moonlight  that 
filtered  in  through  the  trellised  leaves;  perhaps  it  was  be- 
cause of  the  more  intimate  knowledge  which  he  had  of  her 
circumstances  and  of  the  hard  fight  that  she  was  making; 
perhaps  the  slight  homesickness  which  he  had  himself  ex- 
perienced made  him  more  sympathetic;  or  perhaps  the  sea- 
son and  the  environment  of  pale  moonbeams  and  the  scent 
of  roses  and  honeysuckle  had  something  to  do  with  it,  but 
this  somewhat  cynical  and  sophisticated  youth  felt  for  a 
moment  an  irresistible  impulse  to  take  her  in  his  arms  and 
comfort  her. 

"Miss  De  Roche,  what  is  the  matter?  Can  I  help  you 
in  any  way?"  he  stammered  out,  sadly  at  a  loss  and  feel- 
ing very  forcibly  the  inadequacy  of  words  in  such  a  crisis. 

The  sobbing  ceased  as  if  by  magic  and  she  was  on  her 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  141 

feet  in  a  moment  gazing  at  him  with  startled  and  indignant 
gaze. 

"You !  you !"  she  exclaimed  when  she  had  found  her 
voice.    "Must  you  spy  on  me,  too  ?" 

"Neither  the  moon  nor  I  can  help  ourselves,  if  you  run 
right  into  our  line  of  vision,  can  we?"  Alistair  replied  with 
a  smile  trying  to  take  the  edge  off  the  situation.  "I'm  sure 
we  neither  of  us  want  to  play  the  part  of  a  Peeping  Tom. 
You  know  who  he  was,  don't  you  ?" 

"I'm  afraid  I  don't,"  she  replied  frostily. 

"It's  in  Tennyson's  'Godiva.'  He  was  mean  enough  to 
spy  upon  a  lady  and  he  lost  his  eyesight  as  a  punishment." 

"And  you  dare  to  go  scot-free?"  she  asked,  rallying  a 
little,  her  anger  passing  as  she  saw  its  unreasonableness. 

"Methinks  I  am  punished  enough  already  in  your  dis- 
pleasure. Besides  one  may  not  lose  his  eyesight  but  one 
may  lose  something  else,  almost  as  serious,  that  is  your 
good  opinion." 

"How  could  you  lose  what — ?"  and  she  stopped,  a  pause 
that  was  eloquent. 

"What  I  never  had,  you  would  say,"  he  filled  in  with  a 
slight  laugh  but  wincing  all  the  same  for  he  was  young  and 
thin-skinned,  albeit  a  barrister.  "Ah,  well,  one  can  still 
hope  for  the  unattained  when  one  is  not  sure  it  is  unattain- 
able. But  would  you  not  tell  me  the  cause  of  your  dis- 
tress. Give  a  poor  soul  a  chance  to  come  back,  won't  you  ? 
Perhaps  I  might  be  able  to  help." 

She  shook  her  head,  sadly,  moved  by  his  earnestness  and 
feeling  almost  a  liking  for  him.  Something  in  the  witch- 
ing charm  of  the  night  had  softened  her  attitude  of  re- 
sentment towards  him,  something  perhaps  of  that  free- 
masonry of  youth,  the  potency  of  which  all  of  us  have  ex- 
perienced. There  was  a  stirring  of  something  within  her, 
an  emotion  that  was  strangely  sweet  which  she  was  un- 
able to  analyse.  Words  would  not  come  to  answer  him; 
and  an  ungovernable  impulse,  a  new  shyness  seized  hold 
of  her  so  that  she  turned  and  fled  into  the  house. 

"I  dare  say  the  poor  girl  hardly  knew  what  she  was  say- 


i42  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

ing  after  all,"  he  said  to  himself  as  lighting  a  cigarette,  he 
walked  down  the  steps  to  the  avenue  and  along  the  drive 
towards  the  road,  feeling  that  a  walk  under  the  moon  would 
help  to  soothe  his  ruffled  feelings.  "I  think  that  I  shall  go 
down  as  far  as  Tim  White's  and  see  if  I  can't  find  a  glass 
of  something  fit  to  drink  before  I  turn  in." 


CHAPTER  XXII 

THE  lights  of  the  hotel  had  a  cheery  glow,  as  Alistair 
drew  near.  He  entered  the  bar-room  and  found  the 
usual  group  leaning  up  against  the  polished  counter.  They 
were  drinking  and  laughing  away  in  the  same  boisterous 
fashion.  At  two  or  three  of  the  small  tables  others  were 
playing  cards  and  in  the  adjoining  room  through  the  open 
archway  he  could  see  several  men  playing  pool.  When  his 
eyes  got  used  to  the  bright  light,  among  the  group  at  the  bar 
he  recognised  several  who  were  known  to  him.  Ted,  for 
one,  was  there  and  seemed  to  be  the  centre  of  the  talk 
and  charring.  At  his  elbow  were  Monte  and  Jack  Beckles 
and  Andy  Wilmot,  his  host  of  the  night  before.  As  Alistair 
walked  up  to  the  bar  to  order  the  drink  that  would  establish 
his  right  to  be  of  the  company — he  saw  that  more  than  one 
had  been   drinking  quite   freely. 

Poor  Ted,  as  usual,  was  the  worst.  It  was  evident  that 
those  around  him  were  just  playing  with  the  boy,  applaud- 
ing his  half-drunken  boastings  and  extravagances  and  by 
their  approval  urging  him  on  to  more  while  winking  to 
each  other  behind  his  back.  Olney  Layburn  was  playing  at 
one  of  the  card  tables  and  Alistair  in  passing  caught  his 
glance  as  he  looked  up  from  his  game.  The  cattleman  raised 
his  eyebrows  with  a  slight  smile  that  was  at  once  derisive 
and  contemptuous  and  then  turned  his  eyes  back  to  his 
game.  At  the  same  time,  Alistair  could  feel  that  they  were 
still  furtively  keeping  watch  upon  him,  and  the  sensation 
was  not  a  pleasant  one ;  for  he  felt  that  there  was  an  enemy 
that  was  not  to  be  despised.  Ted's  boyish  resentment  he 
did  not  fear,  but  this  man's  hostility  was  something  that 
must  be  reckoned  with. 

Dennis  was  attending  to  the  bar  and  he  was  not  long 
in  taking  Alistair's  order  for  a  whisky  neat.     He  glanced 

143 


i44  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

with  some  interest  at  the  newcomer  as  did  those  in  the 
group  who  were  drinking,  all  except  Ted,  who  was  too  much 
interested  in  laying  down  the  law  to  his  little  coterie.  Ted 
had  arrived  earlier  in  the  evening  in  the  depths  of  depres- 
sion ;  but  had  soon  been  cheered,  under  the  ministrations 
of  Dennis  and  the  good-humoured  rallyings  of  the  satellites 
that  circled  around  him.  He  had  passed  through  the  stage 
of  exhilaration,  in  which  he  had  invited  all  of  them  to  drink 
at  his  expense.  Now,  his  money  gone  and  the  fumes  of 
the  fiery  fluid  that  passed  for  whisky  in  Tim  White's  es- 
tablishment having  quite  obfuscated  his  faculties,  he  was 
ready  to  quarrel  with  anyone  on  the  first  provocation. 

It  was  at  this  psychological  moment  that  Alistair  with 
Quixotic  rashness  attempted  to  get  the  boy  to  go  home 
with  him.  It  said  the  more  for  his  resolution  that  the  job 
was  one  for  which  he  had  little  stomach.  Prudence  coun- 
selled him  that  it  was  no  affair  of  his.  The  boy  had  been 
uniformly  rude  to  him ;  and  to  expect  him  to  be  docile  now 
was  to  stroke  a  tiger  and  expect  not  to  be  clawed. 

Had  there  been  none  but  Ted  and  himself  and  the  bar- 
keeper present,  the  matter  would  have  been  comparatively 
easy ;  but  he  was  keenly  conscious  of  the  onlookers  and  felt 
himself  in  an  atmosphere  of  hostility.  He  had  not  for- 
gotten the  incident  in  that  very  room  a  few  nights  before 
and  how  he  had  had  to  keep  quiet  under  insult.  For  a 
youth  of  spirit  to  eat  dirt,  once  in  a  way,  may  be  possible 
but  he  cannot  be  expected  to  acquire  the  taste  for  it.  He 
might  have  listened  to  the  arguments  that  Prudence  put 
up  to  him  while  he  was  sipping  away  at  the  glass  of  very 
bad  whisky  which  he  felt  it  was  policy  to  drain  to  the 
bottom,  had  it  not  been  for  a  stubborn  conscience  that  would 
have  none  of  expediency. 

When  he  had  finished  he  took  out  of  his  pocket  his 
silver  cigarette  case,  a  prize  he  had  won  in  a  golfing  tourna- 
ment and  quietly  abstracted  a  cigarette. 

Ted,  by  this  time,  had  noticed  that  the  attention  of  those 
around  him  to  his  vapourings  had  been  drawn  away  some- 
how.   Looking  about  for  the  cause,  he  was  soon  aware  of 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  145 

this  bete  noire  of  the  family  standing  within  a  few  feet  of 
him.  He  eyed  him  moodily  for  a  space,  his  eyes  falling 
from  Alistair's  face  to  the  little  silver  case  and  the  shadow 
of  contempt  deepened  the  darkness  of  his  scowl. 

"L-l-look  at  our  little  London  dandy.  Isn't  he  cute 
though  with  his  teeny,  shiny,  cheroot  box?"  he  said  loud 
enough  for  all  to  hear. 

There  was  a  slight  titter  from  two  or  three  in  the  back- 
ground ;  but  Alistair  took  no  notice.  It  needed  more  than 
this  to  make  him  show  resentment  to  a  drunken  man.  How- 
ever, he  presented  the  despised  trinket  and  asked  the  lad  to 
help  himself. 

"Have  a  smoke,  Ted,  and  come  home  with  me,"  he  said 
in  a  friendly  tone  and  with  his  most  winning  smile.  "It's 
beastly  hot  in  here  anyway." 

"Don't  want  your  smokes,"  said  Ted,  thrusting  the  cigar- 
ette case  away,  none  too  gently,  with  the  back  of  his  hand. 
"Better  go  home  yourself  f'r  you — you  ain't  wanted  here, 
y'know." 

But  Alistair  was  not  to  be  dissuaded  by  one  such  rebuff. 
"Come  on,  now,  there's  a  good  fellow,"  he  said  coaxingly, 
"your  sister  will  be  looking  for  you.     I  guess  she's  a  bit 
worried  about  you" ;  and  he  moved  a  step  closer  and  took 
the  boy  gently  by  the  arm. 

The  effect  on  the  latter  was  as  if  electrical. 

"Damn  you,"  he  cried,  "leave  my  sister's  name  alone." 

In  a  sudden  fury  of  passion  he  turned  round  and  gripping 

the   handle   of   his   quirt   which   hung  suspended    from  his 

right  wrist  by  its  leather  loop,  he  swung  the  long  lash 

viciously  at  Alistair's  face. 

Fortunately  for  the  latter  he  was  partially  on  his  guard. 
He  raised  his  arm  quickly  enough  to  catch  the  main  force 
of  the  blow  on  his  wrist  although  the  thin  end  of  the  lash 
curling  viciously  took  him  around  the  neck  cutting  him 
painfully  enough,  though  not  severely,  on  the  cheek.  It 
knocked  over  as  well  a  couple  of  the  beer  glasses  and  a  bottle 
off  the  counter  which  fell  with  a  loud  noise  on  the  floor. 
Maddened  by   the   stinging   smart   of   the  blow,   Alistair 


i46  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

wrenched  the  whip  from  the  hands  of  its  owner,  seized  him 
by  the  collar  and,  tripping  him  up,  stretched  him  on  the  floor. 
Then,  without  releasing  his  hold,  he  cut  him  three  times 
across  the  shoulders,  his  victim  writhing  helplessly  beneath 
him.  After  the  third  blow,  Alistair,  noting  the  look  of 
torture  on  the  youth's  face  desisted,  seized  by  a  quick  re- 
vulsion of  feeling  and  shame  for  his  own  passion.  Releas- 
ing him,  he  leaned  his  back  against  the  bar,  for  the  room 
was  now  in  an  uproar,  and  turned  to  face  what  was  before 
him.  Jack  Beckles  had  made  a  move  at  the  first,  when  he 
had  seized  Ted,  to  stop  him ;  but  Andy  Wilmot  had  caught 
him  by  the  arm  telling  him  it  served  the  lad  right.  He 
was  not  sorry  to  see  a  De  Roche  getting  his  deserts,  and  for 
the  moment  he  had  saved  Alistair  from  interruption.  The 
respite,  however,  was  only  temporary;  for  Olney  Layburn 
had  risen  and  came  quickly  forward  among  the  first  from 
the  tables.  He  was  only  prevented  from  rushing  at  Ali- 
stair by  the  menace  of  the  loaded  end  of  the  quirt  which 
the  latter  held  upraised  in  his  right  hand,  threatening  to 
brain  anyone  that  laid  hands  on  him.  Too  well  Olney  knew 
the  weight  of  that  quirt  for  he  had  carried  it  himself; 
and  it  was  easy  to  see  that  the  young  Britisher  would  not 
hesitate  to  use  it.  He  looked  dangerous  even  to  Layburn 
who  had  seen  many  a  fight.  His  shoulders  squared  and  his 
eyes  flashing  and  the  chin  which  the  old  lawyer  had  re- 
marked upon  as  indicative  of  the  fighter,  all  spoke  of  a  spirit 
that  would  not  readily  accept  defeat. 

"I  don't  want  to  kill  anyone,"  he  said  quietly ;  "but  you'd 
better  keep  your  distance.  Ted  got  what  he  had  deserved 
though  I'm  sorry  I  licked  him  so  hard,"  he  said  quickly, 
his  voice  a  trifle  unsteady  with  excitement  and  his  recent 
exertion. 

"Lay  down  that  quirt  if  you're  not  afraid  and  I'll  lick 
you,  you  bully,"  shouted  Olney  fiercely,  "unless  to  fight 
with  kids  is  all  you've  got  stomach  for — an'  to  do  that  you've 
got  to  wait  till  they're  drunk." 

"I'll  lay  it  down  with  pleasure,  my  friend,  if  those  here 
will  guarantee  I  won't  have  to  fight  more  than  one  at  a 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  147 

time,"  said  Alistair  glancing  around  for  a  moment  at  the 
circle  of  faces  about  him.  "From  the  experience  I've  gained, 
I'd  rather  not  take  anything  for  granted,  I'm  sorry  to  say." 

He  still  held  the  quirt  in  readiness  for  any  attack  that 
might  be  made  on  him.  He  was  disgusted  that  he  should 
have  got  into  this  imbroglio ;  but  he  must  get  out  as  best  he 
could  and  there  appeared  no  way  but  by  fighting. 

Fortunately,  he  was  not  a  stranger  to  the  noble  art,  but 
had  boxed  under  good  masters  in  London.  Though  prob- 
ably not  nearly  as  strong  as  Layburn,  his  reach  was  long; 
and  what  he  lacked  in  weight  he  might  partly  make  up  for 
by  superior  agility.  Still,  the  man  was  a  nasty  customer  to 
tackle;  and  the  meeting  was  an  ordeal  that  Alistair  would 
gladly  have  avoided  had  it  been  possible. 

"You'll  do  well  if  you  lick  Olney  alone ;  one'U  be  enough." 
said  Dick  Evie. 

There  was  a  general  laughter  and  chorus  of  assent  largely 
ironical  in  tone  for  it  was  evident  the  crowd  had  little  faith 
in  the  stranger's  power  to  stand  up  against  Layburn,  of 
whose  capabilities  they  were  well  aware. 

"We'll  see  you  get  fair  play,"  said  one,  and  "It  will  be 
fair  play  for  him  to  lick  you,  I'm  thinkin',"  said  another 
who  was  addicted  to  puns,  and  "You'll  get  all  that's  comin' 
to  you,  don't  forget  it,  fair  play  and  all,"  said  yet  another. 

It  was  plain  that  the  feeling  was  not  friendly  to  him  but 
he  felt  that  he  would  have  to  take  a  chance.  He  could  not 
stand  out  against  them  all,  anyway,  and.  to  delay  was  only  to 
anger  them.  So  he  threw  the  quirt  on  the  floor  and  took 
off  his  jacket  amid  a  faint  murmur  of  satisfaction.  Such  a 
fight,  it  was  felt,  would  be  a  sensation  such  as  did  not  often 
come  to  Duck  Lake.  It  seemed  that  the  slim,  young  Brit- 
isher, with  his  delicate-looking  physique  and  boyish  face, 
would  have  no  chance  with  the  powerful  rancher  whose  un- 
common strength  and  prowess  with  his  fists  was  known  to 
all.  To  see  the  former  well  thrashed  and  made  to  feel  that 
he  was  "no  great  shakes"  in  this  Western  country  after  all 
would  be,  to  many,  a  pleasure.  Some  there  were,  however, 
who  felt  pity  for  him  and  would  have  been  glad  to  see 


i48  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

him  escape  from  the  predicament  in  which  his  rashness  had 
placed  him.  One  of  these  was  Andy  Wilmot,  who  helped 
him  off  with  his  vest  and  whispered  encouragingly  into  his 
ear. 

"Whatever  you  do,  take  it  coolly,  my  boy;  and  don't  let 
him  get  too  close  to  you.  Keep  movin'  on  those  spindly 
legs  of  yours  and  keep  out  of  his  way ;  for  if  he  lands  you 
with  one  of  his  right-hand  swipes,  it'll  be  all  day  with  you." 

It  was  pleasant  to  Alistair  to  hear  one  friendly  voice.  He 
had  no  mind  if  he  could  help  it  to  take  the  punishment  which 
a  stiffly  contested  fight  with  fisticuffs  would  probably  mean 
to  both  victor  and  vanquished.  He  knew  a  good  deal  about 
boxing  and  he  had  also  worked  hard  with  an  expert  in 
London  to  perfect  himself  in  the  ju-jitsu  system  of  self- 
defence.  He  resolved  to  use  the  latter  now  to  have  himself 
if  possible  from  another  mauling;  for  his  head  was  only 
healing  up  from  his  last  experience  of  the  kind.  Besides  he 
had  made  himself  unpopular  enough  with  the  De  Roche 
family  by  licking  Ted  without  battering  his  cousin  any  more 
than  was  necessary.  It  was  a  case  he  felt,  where  dis- 
cretion was  the  better  part  of  valour.  He  had  tried  out  the 
ju-jitsu  several  times  in  tight  places  before — once  in  a 
crowded  third-class  railway  carriage  where  a  giant  coal 
miner,  slightly  drunk,  had  tried  to  run  amuck,  and  again  with 
an  Apache  when  walking  through  the  Montmartre  in  Paris 
when  seeing  the  sights  without  a  guide.  He  believed  that 
it  would  not  fail  him  now. 

Layburn,  too,  had  stripped  to  his  shirt  and  stood  ready 
waiting  in  the  midst  of  the  space  that  had  been  cleared  in 
a  moment  by  willing  hands.  He  wore  a  confident  air;  and 
he  rolled  up  his  sleeves  disclosing  a  pair  of  formidable, 
hairy  arms  on  which  the  muscles  stood  out  in  gnarled  knots 
that  bore  witness  to  the  power  that  lay  in  them.  Alistair's 
arms  with  their  smooth,  white  skin  seemed  weak  and  girlish 
in  comparison. 

The  two  men  stood  facing  each  other  for  a  moment,  the 
older  cool  and  smiling,  the  younger  palpably  nervous  and  ill 
at  ease.     Of  those  who  looked  on,  many  could  not  help  a 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  149 

qualm  of  pity  for  the  latter.  The  outcome  seemed  a  fore- 
gone conclusion. 

Then  they  closed.  Alistair  was  determined  to  follow  the 
advice  that  he  had  just  received  and  from  the  first  held 
himself  strictly  on  the  defensive,  parrying  or  evading  his 
enemy's  blows  which  seemed  to  be  forcing  him  all  around  the 
ring.  He  got  home  once  on  the  face  and  twice  on  the  body 
before  Alistair  saw  the  opening  that  he  was  waiting  for.  As 
Layburn  seemed  to  feel  that  the  victory  was  already  his, 
however,  the  chance  soon  came.  Turning  aside  a  terrible 
blow  of  Layburn's  left  hand  aimed  at  his  head,  Alistair 
quickly  seized  his  wrist  palm  upwards.  Then  diving  his 
head  under  his  enemy's  arrnpit  and  bringing  the  arm  across 
his  own  shoulder  and  his  foot  up  behind  Layburn's  left,  he 
held  him  powerless.  With  his  right  arm  he  had  seized  the 
other's  right  behind  his  back,  holding  it  prisoner  also.  His 
own  shoulder,  acting  as  a  fulcrum,  gave  him  a  powerful 
leverage  over  the  cattleman's  left  arm.  Thus  he  was  able 
with  a  slight  pressure  to  strain  it  severely,  so  that  after  the 
first  faint  attempt  to  struggle  free,  Layburn  made  no  fur- 
ther resistance.  Thus,  to  the  onlookers,  there  was  seen  this 
strange  sight  of  their  champion  boxer  and  strong  man  held 
helpless  in  the  grip  of  one,  who,  beside  him,  looked  a  mere 
boy  almost,  so  slight  and  delicate  was  he  compared  with  the 
heavy,  muscular  body  of  his  opponent.  To  them  it  appeared 
as  if  Layburn  must  be  shamming  and  that  at  any  moment 
he  would  break  away  and  crush  the  Britisher;  but  the  ex- 
pectation was  disappointed.  Nor  did  they  realise  that  it  was 
a  trick  that  enabled  Alistair  to  control  him  thus,  as  a  man 
might  hold  a  child  rigid  and  powerless.  To  Layburn  the 
thing  was  just  as  great  a  puzzle  but  he  had  no  doubt 
as  to  his  own  helplessness.  Already  the  pressure  that 
Alistair  had  brought  upon  his  left  arm  had  for  the  moment 
given  him  excruciating  pain  and  he  dared  not  resist  for  fear 
of  its  repetition.  By  the  leverage  which  Alistair  held  upon 
it  over  his  own  shoulder,  he  could  easily  have  strained  it 
severely. 

"Gosh,  Olney  must  have  had  a  shock,"  said  an  old  rancher, 


1 5o  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

breaking  the  awed  silence  that  had  fallen  upon  the  crowd 
at  this  curious  collapse  of  the  neighbourhood's  champion. 

"What  the  deuce  is  the  matter  with  him?"  asked  another. 
"He  ain't  licked,  is  he?"  and  there  was  a  general  chorus  of 
remarks  and  suggestions. 

"Brace  up,  Olney,  old  boy,"  and  "knock  the  spots  out  of 
him,"  and  similar  encouraging  adjurations  were  of  no  avail. 
It  was  easy  to  see  from  the  expression  of  the  cattleman 
that  his  captive  position  was  no  feigned  one,  for,  on  his 
face,  humiliation,  fury  and  bewilderment,  all  three  seemed 
to  be  struggling  for  the  mastery. 

Alistair  led  him  about  a  dozen  paces  down  the  room  and 
then  turning  him  round  brought  him  back  again. 

"Queer  kind  of  fightin'  if  ye  ask  me,"  said  Dan  Herder, 
shepherd  for  the  Kendall  Ranch.  "Looks  as  if  they  were 
out  to  take  an'  evenin'  walk  together." 

"Bedad  but  they  look  mighty  lovin'  all  at  wance,"  said 
Dennis,  "walkin'  arm  an'  arm  just  like  two  school  kids 
a-goin'  sweetheartin'.  They  didn't  look  like  that  two  minutes 
ago,  did  they  now,  tell  me  that,  will  ye?" 

Under  the  hubbub  Alistair  was  talking  quietly  into  his 
prisoner's  ear. 

"I  shall  let  you  free  now  if  you  promise  not  to  make  me 
any  further  trouble  and  to  go  and  sit  down  or  leave  the  room. 
I  do  not  wish  to  humiliate  you  unless  you  make  it  neces- 
sary.   Will  you  promise?" 

"I  guess  I've  got  to,"  muttered  Layburn  between  his 
teeth;  and  with  the  words,  Alistair  let  him  go.  He  slunk 
off  towards  the  bar,  looking  at  no  one.  As  he  was  making 
for  the  door,  his  eyes  fell  on  a  butchering  knife  that  George 
Cooper,  a  homesteader,  who  had  but  lately  settled  in  the 
district,  had  borrowed  from  the  cook  to  slaughter  a  hog  on 
the  morrow.  Beside  himself  with  rage,  and  careless  for  the 
moment  of  consequences,  seizing  this  in  his  right  hand  he 
had  turned  on  his  heel  in  an  instant  and  rushed  back  on 
his  late  foe  who  had  already  turned  his  back  on  him.  Some 
one,  however,  called  "Look  out!"  and  Alistair  wheeled  just 
in  time  to  see  the  danger.    As  Layburn  rushed  upon  him 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  151 

with  knife  raised  to  strike,  he  struck  his  hand  aside  with  his 
left.  Then,  bringing  this  against  Layburn's  chin  so  as  to 
throw  back  his  head,  at  the  same  time  catching  hold  of  his 
left  knee,  he  threw  him  back  with  great  force.  As  he  fell, 
his  body  swung  round,  his  head  struck  on  the  edge  of  one 
of  the  card  tables,  and,  when  he  reached  the  ground,  he  wras 
senseless. 

There  was  a  general  rush  to  lift  him  up  and  a  rough-and- 
ready  system  of  first  aid  was  employed;  but  it  w^as  soon 
evident  that  the  blow  wras  a  serious  one.  The  injured  man 
lay  in  a  sort  of  coma  from  which  it  seemed  impossible  to 
arouse  him.  Some  one  remembered  that  Dr.  Priest  from 
Kamloops  had  been  called  out  to  a  case  only  six  miles  away 
and  Tim  White  at  once  telephoned  to  see  if  he  could  come 
down.     He  would  leave  immediately,  the  reply  came. 

Doctor  Priest  in  about  ten  minutes  arrived  with  his  motor. 
He  shook  his  head  gravely  when  he  examined  the  patient 
and  pronounced  it  a  case  of  concussion,  how  serious  he 
could  not  tell.  It  would  be  necessary  to  take  him  to  the 
Kamloops  hospital  at  once.  Ready  hands  soon  lifted  him 
into  the  motor  after  a  sort  of  bed  had  been  made  of  several 
rugs   to   make  the  trip  as   easy  as   possible. 

Alistair  had  wrorked  with  the  rest  for  Layburn's  restora- 
tion, and  was  glad  wmen  the  doctor  came  and  Dick  Evie 
volunteered  to  go  into  town  with  him  and  look  after  the 
injured  man.  Alistair's  position  was  by  no  means  a  pleas- 
ant one  although  he  felt  that  he  was  not  much  to  blame 
for  what  had  happened.  He  was  pleased  to  see,  too,  that 
with  the  exception  of  the  Inshallah  men  themselves,  none 
of  the  others  seemed  to  hold  him  accountable  for  it,  at 
least  they  did  not  show  themselves  unfriendly.  That  Lay- 
burn  might  die,  was  a  possibility  that  he  did  not  like  to 
think  of. 

Then  there  was  the  immediate  situation  to  be  faced.  Ted 
had  disappeared  before  the  fight  with  Layburn  had  begun 
and  wras  perhaps  home  by  this  time ;  or  he  might  not  have 
gone  home  at  all.  Lorraine  would,  no  doubt,  be  on  the 
watch  for  her  brother's  return. 


1 52  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

To  go  back  and  face  her  knowing  that  he  had  thrashed 
her  brother  and  perhaps  killed  her  cousin  and  betrothed — 
for  he  strongly  suspected  that  the  two  were  engaged — this 
was  an  ordeal  for  which  he  hardly  felt  himself  brave 
enough.     And  yet,  what  else  could  he  do? 

As  he  stood  outside  the  hotel  again  in  the  cool,  night  air, 
he  had  a  strong  inclination  to  go  to  the  Appleby's  and  ask 
hospitality  from  them — but  to  go  there  would  look  as  if  he 
was  ashamed  of  what  he  had  done  and  he  was  not.  No, 
he  decided  he  must  face  the  music;  but  the  thought  of 
Miss  De  Roche's  face  with  its  sorrowful  expression  as  he 
had  seen  it  a  short  time  before — the  thought  of  meeting  her 
after  what  had  happened  was  more  terrible  to  him  than  had 
been  the  ordeal  of  fighting  Layburn. 

One  of  the  horses  tied  to  the  hitching-post  nickered  ta 
him  as  he  walked  past;  and  he  noticed,  as  he  stopped  in 
his  abstraction  to  pat  its  nose,  that  it  was  Layburn's  big 
sorrel.  The  beast  was  thinking  of  stable  and  supper  and 
hoping  for  its  master's  coming. 

"I'm  afraid  he  won't  be  able  to  ride  home  to-night,  old 
boy,"  he  said.  "Maybe  I'd  better  take  you  myself  in  case 
the  men  don't  think  of  it." 

Loosing  the  animal,  he  mounted  and  rode  off  towards 
Inshallah  slowly  because  he  would  fain  defer  the  interview 
that  lay  before  him. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

AFTER  Alistair's  departure,  Lorraine  sat  down  on  the 
verandah  chair  and  abandoned  herself  to  her  reflec- 
tions, none  too  pleasant  as  they  were.  The  feeling  of  hu- 
miliation at  being  surprised  in  tears  by  her  enemy  was 
somewhat  swamped  in  the  greater  trouble  that  lay  in  her 
anxiety  about  Ted.  However,  she  was  not  long  left  quiet 
for  her  aunt  came  to  call  her  to  go  upstairs  to  read  aloud 
to  her  father.  This  had  become  a  nightly  custom,  of  late, 
as  he  found  it  difficult  to  get  to  sleep  ;  and  the  reading  for  an 
hour  or  so  seemed  to  have  a  quieting  effect  on  his  brain, 
which  was  inclined  to  be  too  active  for  repose. 

The  book  that  Lorraine  had  been  reading  was  the  "Pick- 
wick Papers,"  her  father  having  a  great  fondness  for 
Dickens,  and  she  found  it  very  difficult  to-night  to  keep  her 
mind  on  the  thrilling  equestrian  adventures  of  the  three 
members  of  the  Pickwick  Club  which  was  the  part  of  the 
narrative  which  fell  to  be  read.  More  than  once  her  father 
rallied  her  on  her  listlessness ;  and  each  time  she  parried 
his  question  and  spurred  herself  to  a  new  animation  of  tone 
and  a  new  simulation  of  interest  while  always  her  mind 
was  racked  with  uneasy  speculations  about  Ted.  At  last,  he 
became  too  drowsy  to  listen  any  longer  and  she  gladly 
seized  the  opportunity  to  slip  away. 

As  she  reached  the  foot  of  the  stairs,  her  heart  gave 
a  sudden  bound  of  pleasure  and  relief  as  she  saw  her 
brother's  figure  in  the  outer  doorway  coming  in.  Not  often, 
of  late,  had  he  come  home  so  early  when  he  had  gone  down 
to  the  hotel  in  an  evening. 

"Oh,  Ted,  I'm  so  glad  that  you  have  come  home,"  she 
exclaimed,  hurrying  towards  him;  but,  even  under  the  dim 
light  of  the  hall  lamp,  she  was  quick  to  recognise  in  his 
appearance  that  something  was  wrong.    He  did  not  stagger 

1.53 


154  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

or  appear  to  be  drunk  as  had  so  often  been  the  case  of 
late ;  but  there  was  a  strained  and  haggard  look  on  his 
face  which  was  deathly  pale.  The  deep  lines  of  pain  were 
altogether  out  of  place  on  his  boyish  features  and  the  dark 
shadows  under  the  eyes  were  accentuated  by  the  downward 
rays  of  the  lamp  under  which  he  stood ;  to  the  girl,  already 
apprehensive,  he  looked  ghastly,  so  much  does  fear  colour 
our  vision. 

"Don't  come  near  me,"  he  said  hoarsely  as  without  look- 
ing at  her,  he  sat  down  stiffly  and  with  a  stifled  groan  of 
pain  on  the  oaken  settee  that  stood  under  the  wide  hat-rack. 
"I've  got  to  go  away  from  here,  right  away,  too." 

"Why,  what's  wrong,  Ted?"  she  cried,  putting  a  hand 
tenderly  on  his  shoulder.  "Why  must  you  go  away  ?  WTiat 
have  you  done." 

"Oh,  let  me  alone,  can't  you,"  he  replied  fretfully  shaking 
off  her  caress.  "I've  got  to  go,  I  tell  you  and  that's  all. 
What's  the  use  of  talking?" 

"Tell  me,  Ted  dear,"  she  persisted.  "You  can  surely  tell 
me,  can't  you  ?" 

"I'm  disgraced,  forever,"  he  said  in  tragic  tones,  "and  it 
won't  do  any  good  talking  about  it,  I  tell  you.  You  don't 
understand  how  I  feel." 

"No,  but  if  you'll  only  tell  me,  Ted.  You'll  feel  better 
after  telling  someone  anyway.  It  can't  be  so  very  bad  and 
it  won't  do  any  harm  to  tell  me.  It's  only  Lorraine,  you 
know ;"  and  she  put  her  hand  on  his  shoulder. 

He  shrank  from  it  with  a  faint  exclamation  of  pain. 

"Well,  if  you  must  know,"  he  said,  "that  devil,  Kilgour, 
thrashed  me  with  my  own  quirt  in  front  of  the  whole  crowd 
at  Tim  White's;  and — and — oh,  hell!"  he  groaned  and 
covered  his  face  with  his  hands.     "I  let  him  do  it,  too." 

"No  !"  she  cried.  "Thrashed  you,  the  mean  bully !  How 
dared  he  ?  Oh,  the  mean  hound !  He's  a  man  and  you're 
only  a  boy,  Ted,  anyway  you  shouldn't  take  it  so  badly. 
You're  not  disgraced  and  you  don't  have  to  go  away.  Be- 
sides, Olney  will  pay  him  well  for  it.  Was  Olney  there? 
What  did  he  do?"  she  questioned  rapidly. 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  155 

"I  was  too  sick  ashamed  to  wait  and  see — I — I — oh 
damn !"  and  he  began  to  sob  with  vexation,  his  slender 
frame  quivering  with  the  violence  of  his  emotions.  "I  hope 
Olney  kills  him !"  he  burst  out  petulantly  when  the  paroxysm 
had  somewhat  expended  itself. 

Lorraine  did  not  outwardly  echo  his  wish  but  in  her  heart 
she  realised  a  certain  satisfaction  when  she  thought  of  the 
punishment  she  felt  certain  Mr.  Kilgour  would  receive  at  the 
hands  of  her  cousin.  Of  course,  she  did  not  want  him 
killed;  but  she  did  hope,  at  least,  he  would  get  a  double 
portion  of  what  he  had  administered  to  poor  Ted.  As  she 
looked  at  the  boy,  so  crushed  and  broken-spirited,  her 
anger  flamed  hot  against  this  man  who  had  brought  so  much 
trouble  and  humiliation  upon  them.  With  it,  however,  there 
was  a  terrible  fear  that  there  was  more  calamity  yet  to 
come  from  him  and  that  this  was  perhaps  only  the  begin- 
ning. If  Olney  should  in  his  anger  go  so  far  as  to  kill  the 
Britisher,  or  even  to  injure  him  severely,  what  terrible  con- 
sequences might  this  not  bring  upon  them. 

However,  now  was  not  the  time  to  dwell  on  such  specu- 
lation when  her  brother's  suffering  and  mental  distress  ap- 
pealed to  the  motherly  sympathy  so  strong  in  every  true 
woman's  heart.  She  was  soon  upon  her  knees  pulling  off 
the  boy's  shoes,  which  he  suffered  her  to  do  with  but  the 
mildest  protest.  Then  she  got  him  persuaded  to  go  upstairs 
to  bed  and,  while  he  undressed,  she  went  to  make  him  a 
cup  of  tea  with  which  to  try  to  soothe  the  throbbing  head- 
ache that  was  the  result  of  the  whisky  he  had  drunk,  com- 
bined with  the  nervous  strain  of  the  past  hour.  He  sat  up 
in  bed  to  drink  it,  and  as  he  did  so  Lorraine  gave  an 
exclamation  of  horror  as  she  noticed  one  or  two  spots  of 
crimson  showing  through  the  thin,  cotton  nightshirt  where 
it  fitted  close  upon  his  shoulders. 

"Why,  your  back's  bleeding,  Ted,  let  me  get  some  water 
and  bathe  it,  then  I'll  put  some  salve  on  it." 

But  this  was  too  much  for  Ted's  manhood  to  put  up  with. 
He  thrust  back  her  hand  upsetting  the  teacup  which  it  held 
and  spilling  the  tea  over  the  side  of  the  bed. 


156  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

"Now,  see  here,"  he  said  fiercely,  his  voice  hoarse  with 
anger  and  shame;  "if  you  don't  go  away  and  leave  me  in 
peace,  I'll  get  right  up  and  I'll  saddle  my  horse  and  go  away. 
I  won't  come  back  in  a  hurry  either.  I've  no  business  to 
stay  here  anyway  after  what's  happened,  only  I've  let  you 
persuade  me,  partly  because  I'm  so  darned  sick  and  sore ; 
but  I'm  telling  you  straight,  if  you're  going  to  plague  me 
to  death  this  way,  I'll  dress  myself  and  go  away  yet.  If  I 
do,  it'll  be  your  fault. 

"I'm  sorry,  sis,  to  talk  so  rough  to  you,"  he  added  in 
compunction,  his  tone  changing  almost  to  a  sob;  "but  you 
see  how  it  is,  don't  you?  For  mercy's  sake,  go  away  and 
leave  me  in  peace  and  quiet.  I'm  all  right,  at  least  I  will 
be  in  the  morning."  He  lay  down  and  pulled  the  bedclothes 
over  the  incriminating  shoulders. 

Lorraine  hesitated  for  a  moment  and  then  after  quickly 
stooping  to  leave  a  kiss  on  his  upturned  ear,  she  picked  up 
the  fallen  dishes  and  blowing  out  the  candle  sped  noiselessly 
out  of  the  room. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

LORRAINE  sought  the  door  of  her  aunt's  room  to  which 
she  had  retired  just  a  short  time  before,  but  there  was 
no  streak  of  light  coming  through  underneath  it  nor  was 
there  any  sound  within.  It  was  apparent  that  its  occupant 
was  already  in  bed.  Much  as  she  felt  the  need  to  talk  over 
this  new  mishap,  she  was  too  considerate  to  think  for  a 
moment  of  awakening  her  aunt  out  of  her  first  sleep  just 
to  burden  her  with  more  trouble.  So  she  went  into  her 
own  room  and,  without  lighting  her  lamp,  sat  down  in  a  low 
rocker  by  the  window  through  which  the  moonlight  was 
streaming  brightly,  chequering  the  interior  with  strange 
shadows.    Here  she  gave  herself  up  to  her  thoughts. 

She  had  not  sat  long,  however,  before  she  heard  the  hoof- 
beats  of  a  horse  coming  up  the  driveway.  Looking  down 
she  saw,  as  she  supposed,  Olney  on  the  familiar  sorrel.  He 
passed  along  below  her;  and  though  she  cried  out  to  him, 
he  gave  no  sign  that  he  heard,  but  went  on  to  the  stables. 
She  was  too  anxious  to  wait  for  news  until  he  should  come 
in,  so  without  hesitating  a  moment,  she  slipped  downstairs 
and  followed  him  out  to  the  barn.  Two  kittens  that  took 
their  rest  on  the  verandah  followed  her  delightedly  with 
tails  upraised ;  but,  in  her  haste  and  anxiety,  she  gave  them 
no  heed. 

The  barn  door  was  open  and  she  passed  inside  and  went 
over  to  the  stall  which  she  knew  was  Dandy's.  Although  the 
place  was  in  darkness  save  for  the  moonlight  that  came  in 
through  the  door  and  windows,  she  knew  it  so  well  that  she 
had  no  difficulty  in  finding  her  way.  Feed  had  already  been 
filled  into  the  manger  for  she  could  hear  the  munching  of 
the  horse.  Its  rider  was  evidently  still  struggling  to  buckle 
on  the  halter,  finding  difficulty  in  doing  so  because  of  the 

157 


158  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

animal's  unwillingness  to  submit  his  nose  to  it,  judging  by 
one  or  two  sharp  objurgations  that  showed  some  irritation  on 
his  part.  Lorraine  stood  waiting  breathless  while  he  un- 
loosened the  cinch.  After  throwing  it  and  the  stirrup  over 
the  top  of  the  saddle,  he  swung  it  quickly  off  the  horse's 
back  and  hung  it  on  the  peg  at  the  foot  of  the  stall.  Some- 
how, now  that  she  was  here  she  felt  strangely  tongue-tied. 

"It's  me,  Olney.  Ted  came  home  and  he  told  me  what  hap- 
pened," she  said  as  he  turned  round  towards  her,  the  words 
coming  with  a  rush  all  at  once.  "What  did  you  do  to  Mr. 
Kilgour?  Oh,  Olney,  I've  been  so  worried  that  I  almost 
wanted  to  come  down  to  the  hotel." 

The  figure  before  her  was  strangely  silent  and  a  quiver  of 
fear  came  over  her  as  somehow  she  began  to  feel  that  this 
was  not  Olney.  Not  that  there  was  light  enough  to  see,  for 
all  she  could  make  out  was  a  vague  outline;  but,  if  it  had 
been  Olney,  she  felt  he  would  have  spoken  at  once. 

Alistair  on  his  part,  was  rendered  dumb  for  the  moment 
by  the  suddenness  of  her  appearance  and  by  the  realisation 
that  she  took  him  for  her  cousin  who,  by  this  time,  must 
be  well  on  the  way  to  Kamloops  hospital.  It  was  one  thing 
to  break  the  news  to  her  in  the  house  with  perhaps  her 
aunt  at  her  side;  but  to  blurt  it  out  here  in  the  dark,  when 
she  was  taking  him  for  the  injured  man  seemed  well-nigh 
too  much  for  his  fortitude.  However,  on  the  ride  home, 
pondering  over  what  was  the  most  expedient  way  to  deal 
with  the  problem,  he  had  decided  that  he  must  carry  matters 
off  with  a  high  hand. 

"It's  not  Olney,  I'm  sorry,"  he  said  at  last,"  though  I  have 
brought  back  his  horse." 

"Oh,"  she  gasped,  "and  why,  may  I  ask,  did  he  not  come 
home  with  it  himself?" 

Her  voice  was  hard  and  cutting,  although  a  tremor  in  it 
betrayed  her  agitation. 

"Perhaps,  if  you  would  just  wait  until  we  get  inside  till 
I  explain  to  you ,"  he  began,  but  she  cut  him  off  peremp- 
torily. 

"No,  tell  me  now.    Tell  me  at  once." 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  159 

"He — he  met  with  an  accident  and  they  have  taken  him 
to  the  hospital  at  Kamloops.  We  got  the  doctor  at  once 
and  he  took  him  away  in  his  motor.  The  foreman  went 
with  him — but  I  trust  it  is  not  really  serious,  although  he 
had  a  bad  fall,  The  doctor  says  there  is  a  slight  concussion 
of  the  brain.  Let  us  go  into  the  house  and  I  shall  tell 
you  all  how  it — how  it  happened." 

He  spoke  in  an  apologetic  tone  and  with  evident  hesita- 
tion in  spite  of  all  the  bolstering  resolutions  he  had  formed 
when  coming  down  the  road.  The  girl  was  quick  to  notice 
his  embarrassment. 

"I  believe  you  were  responsible  for  it,"  she  burst  out 
with  passion,  in  a  torrent  of  words  though  her  tones  were 
low  and  there  were  tears  in  them.  "But  you  never  could 
have  done  it  by  fair  means.  First,  my  brother,  then  him. 
Oh,  how  I  hate  and  despise  you,  you  cad  and  bully!  But 
don't  think  that  you  will  ever  come  into  our  house  again — » 
that  is,  when  we  are  there.  You  will  be  lucky  to  escape  with 
your  life  when  the  men  get  to  know  of  it." 

"Some  of  the  men  were  there  when  it  happened  and  if 
there  had  been  foul  play  on  my  part,  I  daresay  I  would  not 
be  here  now.  It  was  your  cousin's  own  fault  and  he — he 
only  got  what  was  coming  to  him,  to  speak  in  your  Western 
manner.  I  am  very  sorry  it  happened  so,  Miss  De  Roche, 
but  I  assure  you,  you  are  blaming  me  quite  unjustly." 

"Yes,  and  you'll  be  telling  me  that  it  was  Ted's  fault,  too. 
A  mere  boy  and  yet  you  lashed  him  till  the  blood  came, 
coward  and  brute  that  you  are — for  I  saw  it  with  my  own 
eyes — you  that  pretend  to  be  a  gentleman — who  were  a  guest 
in  our  house  and  you  treated  him  so.  Oh,  I  cannot  tell  you 
how  I  despise  you  and  hope  to  see  you  well  punished  for  it." 

Alistair  quailed  under  the  lash  of  her  words,  for  he  could 
not  altogether  gainsay  them.  He  could  not  but  admit  that 
from  her  standpoint,  she  was  not  to  be  blamed  for  her  atti- 
tude, but  when  he  answered  her  it  was  with  a  new  note  of 
domination  and  almost  of  menace  that  made  the  cold  chills 
run  up  and  down  her  spine. 

"Now,  now,   Miss  De  Roche,  we  shall   drop   all  these 


i6o  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

heroics  if  you  please.  They  are  entirely  unnecessary  and 
they  do  not  help  out  the  situation  at  all.  It  is  bad  enough 
for  all  of  us  without  making  it  any  worse  by  childish  non- 
sense of  that  sort.  If  you  want  to  know,  Ted  struck  me 
first  with  his  whip ;  and  the  hiding  he  got  for  it  should  do 
him  good  if  you  don't  spoil  all  the  effect  by  sympathising 
with  him." 

He  did  not  tell  her  that  it  was  to  his  efforts  to  bring  Ted 
home  and  get  him  away  from  the  drink,  to  which  he  owed 
the  whole  misadventure,  or  her  attitude  might  have  been 
changed  at  once. 

"You  say  that  you  won't  let  me  come  into  the  house 
again.  Supposing  I  don't  come,  will  you  tell  me  how  you 
are  going  to  pay  the  men  when  the  haying  comes  on  very 
soon,  for  I  can  tell  you  the  bank  won't  advance  a  cent  with- 
out my  name  on  the  notes.  They  don't  appear  to  have  much 
confidence  in  Mr.  Layburn's  financing  and  neither  do  I, 
I  must  say  from  past  experience.  If  you  want  to  save 
this  ranch  for  your  father,  you  and  Ted,  let  me  tell  you, 
will  have  to  buckle  to  and  help  me — not  put  hindrances  in 
my  way.  I  am  working  in  this  to  save  my  own  investment 
and  yours  at  the  same  time.  The  sooner  you  and  your  peo- 
ple appreciate  that  the  better.  Furthermore,  I  may  tell  you 
this.  While  I  held  my  hand  before  from  foreclosure  and 
distraint  proceedings  at  your  request  and  against  the  inter- 
ests of  my  own  family  which  have  been  jeopardised  accord- 
ingly, I  shall  not  do  it  again  if  you  force  the  alternative.  I 
shall  hate  to  proceed  for  your  father's  sake.  He  is  the  only 
one  of  you  that  has  treated  me  decently — he  and  Miss 
Paget,  who  has  not  acted  as  if  I  were  an  ogre.  I  think 
I  have  said  enough  now,"  he  concluded,  picking  up  the 
lantern,  his  tone  softening;  "and  we  shall  go  inside  or  you 
will  get  chilled.  In  the  morning  we  can  hold  a  council  of 
war — that  is,  if  you  are  willing  to  be  reasonable  and  after 
I  have  taken  Master  Ted  in  hand — and  see  what  is  best  to 
be  done." 

She  shuddered  slightly  and,  as  he  lifted  the  lantern  high  for 
her  to  see,  she  moved  off  obediently  before  him.     In  this 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  161 

way,  in  silence,  they  proceeded  to  the  house,  the  kittens 
accompanying  them  with  playful  little  scampers  occasionally 
sidestepping  so  as  to  rub  themselves  against  her  ankles. 

As  they  entered  the  hall,  she  turned  to  him. 

"Do  you  not  think  that  I  should  go  to  my  cousin  to- 
night ?"  she  faltered. 

He  shook  his  head. 

"It  would  be  of  no  use,"  he  said  gently;"  they  wouldn't 
let  you  see  him  anyway.  It  will  be  time  enough  to  think 
of  that  after  we  have  telephoned  in  the  morning.  We  must 
not  unnecessarily  alarm  your  father." 

"Do  you  think  Olney  is  in  danger?" 

"I  really  do  not  know.  The  doctor  would  not  say  much; 
but  I  should  think  that  with  a  sound  constitution  like  his 
that  he  should  be  all  right.  I  suppose  your  aunt  has  gone 
to  bed.     If  so,  I  would  not  tell  her  to-night." 

She  lighted  a  candle  that  stood  on  the  hall  table  and  went 
silently  upstairs.  As  Alistair  followed  her  slight  form  with 
his  eyes,  a  lump  rose  in  his  throat  and  he  felt  that  Fate  had, 
indeed,  dealt  unkindly  with  him  to  cast  him  for  such  an 
ungrateful  role.  Hereafter,  when  he  went  to  the  play,  he 
vowed  that  he  would  always  have  some  sympathy  for  the 
villain  in  the  piece. 


CHAPTER   XXV 

NEXT  morning  Alistair  was  up  betimes  and  rode  down 
to  the  hotel  to  telephone  to  the  hospital  as  he  had  been 
unable  to  get  a  connection  from  the  ranch  telephone.  Lay- 
burn,  he  was  told  by  the  hospital  doctor  who  answered  the 
call,  had  recovered  consciousness  and  was  out  of  danger. 
He  was  resting  easily  and  it  was  only  a  matter  of  a  week 
or  so  until  he  would  be  on  his  feet  again.  Greatly  relieved, 
Alistair  hurried  back  to  the  ranch  with  the  good  news.  He 
met  Miss  Paget  on  the  verandah  and  told  her  and  she 
hurried  upstairs  to  tell  Lorraine.  A  few  minutes  later  he 
went  in  to  breakfast  in  answer  to  the  gong  and  found  both 
of  them  there  awaiting  his  coming  to  sit  down.  Lorraine 
gave  him  a  constrained  "good-morning"'  without  looking  at 
him.  He  was  unable  to  determine  by  her  manner  just  what 
was  her  attitude  towards  him  after  the  events  of  the  night 
before.  There  was  a  general  constraint  on  all  three,  nor 
was  this  eased  any  by  the  fact  that  a  dark-blue  weal  showed 
on  Alistair's  right  cheek,  extending  all  the  way  from  his 
eyebrow  to  the  tip  of  his  ear,  where  Ted's  quirt  had  struck 
him. 

Lorraine  had  slept  little  and  was  looking  pale.  She  had 
told  her  aunt  all  that  had  happened  as  far  as  she  knew  it 
and  what  Mr.  Kilgour  had  said  to  her  at  the  stable.  The 
girl  was  annoyed  that  her  aunt,  while  greatly  distressed, 
would  not  join  with  her  in  her  unqualified  condemnation  of 
Mr.  Kilgour.  She  was  relieved  to  learn  that  Olney  was  not 
seriously  hurt  as  she  had  feared;  but  the  fact  did  not 
greatly  lessen  her  resentment  against  the  cause  of  his  in- 
juries. The  knowledge  that  he  had  received  them  in  his 
defence  of  Ted  had  filled  her  heart  with  a  new  tenderness 
for  him,  and  she  reproached  herself  for  having  received  his 
suit  so  coldly.    Olney,  strong  and  well,  even  though  slighted 

162 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  163 

in  love,  was  not  an  object  for  pity;  but  Olney,  sick  and  in 
the  hospital,  was  all  at  once  surrounded  with  a  certain 
glamour  that  made  her  think  of  him  with  kindliness  and 
a  measure  of  gratitude. 

There  was  a  savoury  breakfast  of  porridge  followed  by 
fried  eggs  and  bacon,  but  Lorraine  only  took  a  few  hurried 
mouthfuls.  Then  she  went  out  to  the  kitchen  and  returned 
with  a  tray  daintily  spread  and  provisioned  with  a  supply 
hot  from  the  fire.  She  poured  out  a  cup  of  coffee  and  had 
lifted  the  tray  to  carry  it  out;  but  Alistair  jumping  up 
from  his  seat,  barred  her  way. 

"Is  that  for  Ted  ?"  he  asked. 

She  looked  at  him  coldly  for  a  moment  with  evident 
surprise. 

"Yes,  it's  for  Ted  if  you  wish  to  know ;"  and  there  was 
resentment  in  her  tone. 

"Please  allow  me  to  take  it  up  to  him,"  he  said,  looking 
into  the  eyes  that  met  his  so  defiantly.  There  was  an 
imperative  note  in  his  voice  that  belied  the  suavity  of  the 
words. 

"No,  not  at  all,"  she  said.  "I  think  that  Ted  has  had 
enough  of  you  for  a  time." 

"You  have  scarcely  begun  your  breakfast.  I  really  must 
insist ;"  and  he  took  hold  of  the  tray  with  both  hands,  still 
looking  gravely  into  her  eyes. 

All  her  spirit  rebelled  within  her  but  somehow,  she  seemed 
forced  to  drop  her  gaze  beneath  his.  The  words  that  she 
wanted  to  pour  forth  on  him,  that  would  wither  him  with 
their  fire  somehow  would  not  come  and  she  stood  before  him 
tongue-tied.  Perhaps  it  was  the  enormity  of  his  barefaced 
assurance  that  seemed  for  the  moment  to  paralyse  her  will. 
While  all  her  inclination  was  to  combat  him,  she  somehow 
weakly  dropped  her  hands  from  the  tray.  With  a  suave 
"Thank  you"  he  marched  off  with  it  out  of  the  room  leaving 
her  standing  dumbfounded  at  her  own  apparent  impotence 
and  raging  with  a  sense  of  frustration  and  defeat.  To  be 
ordered  about  in  her  own  house  and  before  her  own  aunt, 


1 64  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

who  might,  she  thought,  have  come  to  her  rescue  was  only 
of  a  piece  with  the  humiliations  she  had  already  endured. 

Meanwhile,  Alistair  carefully  bore  his  burden  upstairs 
and  knocked  softly  and  briefly  at  Ted's  door.  Then  without 
waiting  for  an  answer,  he  stepped  quietly  inside. 

It  was  a  fair-sized  apartment  in  the  front  of  the  house 
with  one  window  that  looked  out  on  the  lake.  The  walls 
were  well  adorned  with  numerous  pictures  mostly  from 
English  illustrated  annuals,  some  framed  and  some  un- 
framed.  The  bed  was  over  at  one  side  and  its  occupant 
lay  with  his  face  to  the  wall.  He  was  evidently  awake 
for  he  spoke  without  turning  round  and  in  no  very  gracious 
tones. 

"What  do  you  want  ?  I  wish  you'd  go  away  and  leave  me 
in  peace." 

He  had  heard  the  rattle  of  the  dishes  on  the  tray  and 
thought  it  was  his  sister. 

"I've  brought  you  some  breakfast,  young  man,"  Alistair 
said  quietly. 

There  was  a  lightning-like  disturbance  of  the  bedclothes 
and  a  vigorous  twisting  of  the  young  limbs  beneath  them. 
Their  owner  had  raised  himself,  so  that  he  could  set  his 
startled  eyes  on  this  intruder  who  had  been  the  object  of  his 
unspoken  maledictions  through  the  hours  of  the  night — 
those  weary  hours  in  which  he  had  tossed  and  fretted  under 
the  smart  of  his  burning  shoulders. 

"You !"  he  cried  with  an  oath,  when  in  amazement  he 
saw  his  enemy  before  him.  "Get  out  of  here,  or  I'll  get 
up  and  kill  you." 

At  the  same  time  he  gave  a  groan  of  helplessness  and 
pain.  Had  he  had  a  pistol  beneath  his  pillow  he  felt  he 
would  have  shot  his  tormentor.  As  it  was,  he  was  lacking  in 
courage  to  get  up  and  fight  him.  If  he  had  even  been 
dressed,  he  felt  he  could  have  done  it  and  defied  the  con- 
sequences ;  but  it  is  astonishing  how  greatly  a  man  is  handi- 
capped without  his  clothes.  So,  he  could  only  glare  in 
impotent  rage,  with  his  enemy  smiling  down  upon  him,  as  it 
seemed,  in  derision. 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  165 

"Now,  don't  bear  malice,  Ted,  my  boy,"  said  Alistair, 
setting  down  the  tray  on  the  dressing  table.  "I'm  sorry 
I  lost  my  temper  last  night  and  hit  you  so  hard ;  but  I  don't 
think  I  was  altogether  to  blame,  now,  was  I,  when  you 
walloped  me  first?  See  the  mark  you  made;"  and  he  put 
his  finger  to  his  cheek.  "That  quirt  of  yours  knows  how 
to  bite ;  and  it  hurt  me  so  much  at  the  time  that  I  just  had 
to  let  you  have  it.    Let's  shake  hands  and  be  friends." 

"Not  on  your  life !"  Ted  cried  fiercely.  "Get  out  of  here 
and  leave  me  in  peace  in  case  I  mark  you  up  again  and 
worse,  too.     Oh,  you  make  me  sick." 

"You  make  me  sick,  too,"  said  Alistair,  "making  a  hog 
of  yourself  there  in  the  hotel.  When  a  fellow  like  me 
wants  to  do  you  a  good  turn  and  get  you  out  of  there  before 
you  become  so  drunk  you  can't  stand,  you  go  and  hit  him 
with  your  quirt — hit  him  across  the  face,  too — and  then  be- 
cause in  his  surprise,  he  hits  you  back  you  have  to  sulk 
about  it.  I  really  believe  at  heart,  Ted,  you're  a  better  sport 
than  you  want  to  make  out.    What  about  it,  eh?" 

The  youth  turned  down  his  eyes  in  shame  and  a  flood 
of  crimson  spread  over  his  face,  which  had  before  been 
white  with  anger  and  vexation.  He  felt  the  truth  of  the 
arraignment ;  and  much  as  he  wanted  to  fling  it  back  in 
the  teeth  of  his  accuser,  he  was  too  honest  to  do  so.  Had 
it  been  uttered  in  tones  of  harshness  and  severity  he  might 
have  done  so ;  but  Alistair  had  spoken  reproachfully  and 
sadly  with  not  a  trace  of  anger  apparent. 

Besides,  the  wakeful  hours  of  the  night  with  their  pain 
and  weariness  had  worked  a  salutary  discipline;  and  con- 
science, which  ever  speaks  its  loudest  when  other  folks  are 
abed  and  there  is  none  to  interrupt,  had  pointed  out  his  sins 
and  follies  with  unsparing  frankness.  The  paths  of  wick- 
edness which  he  had  been  treading  had  after  all  proved  far 
from  alluring.  The  old  days  of  light-hearted  boyhood  had 
passed  away  and  in  their  place  had  come  only  heaviness  and 
satiety  and  a  feeling  of  dispeace  within.  At  first,  he  had 
thought  that  it  was  manly  to  be  bad  and  with  youthful 
bravado  had  laughed  to  scorn  his  sister's   warnings.     His 


1 66  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

cousin's  had  usually  been  given  in  such  a  way  that  they  had 
only  spurred  him  on  upon  the  course  that  he  had  begun. 
It  was  the  escapade  in  which,  with  Monte  and  Jack  Beckles, 
he  had  held  up  Mr.  Kilgour  that  had  first  made  him  realise 
the  dangerous  road  on  which  he  was  travelling.  It  was 
when  his  accomplices  had  imparted  to  him,  after  it  was  all 
over  and  he  was  quite  sober,  the  serious  consequences  of 
their  deed  provided  they  were  ever  found  out  and  caught. 
He  had  learned  then  the  unpleasantness  of  partnership  with 
others  on  whose  discretion  and  good  will  might  depend  his 
very  freedom.  Then  he  understood  that  the  deed,  which  in 
his  half-fuddled  state  he  had  regarded  as  a  rather  clever  but 
harmless  prank,  might  mean  a  gaol  sentence  if  he  were  con- 
victed. It  was  with  the  greatest  horror  he  had  found  out 
from  Monte  that  the  latter  had  picked  their  victim's  pocket 
and  gloated  over  the  fact.  Since  then,  Ted  had  discovered — 
now  that  he  had  lost  it — how  precious  a  thing  is  a  mind 
from  care  and  conscience  free.  So  it  was  with  a  mien  both 
chastened  and  softened  that  at  last  he  made  answer. 

"I'm  sick  of  myself,  too.  I — I  guess  I  deserve  all  I  got." 
Then  a  sudden  nicker  of  interest  lighted  up  the  dejection 
on  his  face  as  he  asked,  his  eagerness  but  thinly  disguised. 
"But  say — after  I  left,  did  Olney  go  for  you — I  felt  sure 
he  would — but  he  doesn't  seem  to  have  left  any  marks,"  and 
he  lifted  his  head  a  little  to  scan  Alistair's  face  more  care- 
fully. 

"It  was  about  that  that  I  really  came  up  to  talk  to  you," 
said  Alistair,  moving  over  to  sit  down  on  the  side  of  the 
bed  and  forgetting  all  about  the  food  that  was  rapidly  cool- 
ing on  the  dressing  table.  "Yes,  Olney  went  for  me  all 
right ;  but  it  didn't  just  turn  out  as  he  expected.  You  see, 
maybe  he  rather  underestimated  the  extent  of  the  contract 
he  had  tackled.  Anyway,  I  got  a  hold  on  him  which  he 
couldn't  get  away  from ;  and  he  had  to  give  in  that  he  was 
beaten.  Then  when  my  back  was  turned,  he  made  for  me 
again  with  a  knife.  He  would  have  stabbed  me,  had  I 
not  managed  to  throw  him  down.  I  hate  to  tell  you, 
Ted,  for  I  know  how  badly  you'll  feel  over  it.     His  head 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  167 

struck  the  table  and  it  knocked  him  unconscious,  so  they  had 
to  take  him  to  the  hospital.  He'll  be  there  for  a  week  or 
two  till  it  mends.  We  were  afraid  it  might  be  serious  but 
the  doctor  says  not." 

Ted  did  not  speak  for  a  few  moments  but  lay  with  his 
eyes  cast  down  and  his  fingers  picking  nervously  at  the 
coverlet.  When  he  did,  at  last,  his  voice  was  hoarse  and 
he  seemed  to  form  his  words  with  difficulty.  His  mind 
could  scarcely  credit  what  he  heard ;  but  somehow  in  his 
heart  he  was  convinced  that  Alistair  spoke  the  truth.  A  new 
flood  of  humiliation  was  borne  in  upon  him.  It  was  bad 
enough  to  think  of  the  mean  figure  he  himself  had  cut  al- 
though then  the  liquor  he  had  taken  was  some  excuse ;  but 
that  Olney  should  have  been  bested,  and  that,  too,  while  he 
was  attempting  foul  play,  perhaps — it  was  a  terrible  blow. 

"You  seem  to  call  our  bluff  every  time,  don't  you?"  and 
there  was  the  bitterness  of  defeat  in  his  tone.  "You  hold 
all  the  cards  and  we  don't  have  a  look-in." 

Poker  terms  were  somewhat  strange  to  Alistair  but  he 
readily  gathered  the  drift  of  Ted's  meaning. 

"Maybe  it  looks  like  it,  Ted.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  I  don't 
know  but  what  you  may  hold  the  joker  in  this  game ;  and 
unless  we  play  as  partners,  I'm  in  danger  of  losing  my 
stakes.  Indeed,  both  of  us  are  if  we  don't  play  together; 
and  that's  what  I'm  coming  to." 

"You  needn't  think  vou  can  turn  me  aeainst  Olnev  an' 
the  rest  of  them,"  said  Ted  quickly,  a  gleam  of  suspicion  in 
his  eyes. 

"Not  at  all,  but  I  want  to  help  you  all  and,  by  helping 
you,  to  help  myself  at  the  same  time ;  and  I'll  tell  you  how. 
If  you  have  another  bad  season  this  year  you  are  almost 
bound  to  go  under;  but  if  the  stock  and  crops  are  handled 
rightly  and  you  get  anything  like  fair  prices  in  the  Fall,  we 
should  be  able  to  pull  things  out  of  the  hole.  Now  you 
can't  do  it  without  me  for  you  can't  get  the  money  from  the 
bank  to  finance  you.  I  can't  do  it  without  you  for  I  don't 
know  how  to  run  the  place  alone ;  and  I  couldn't  get  the  men 
to  do  the  work  right.     They'll  work  for  you  while  they 


i68  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

wouldn't  for  me.  Now,  here's  Olney  laid  up  for  a  couple  of 
weeks  at  least  and  the  hay  harvest  ready  to  begin  very  soon. 
The  men  are  sulky  and  ready  to  quit — I  suppose  they  are 
wild  at  me  for  handling  you  and  Olney  the  way  I  did,  al- 
though they  should  know  that  I  couldn't  help  it.  If  you 
come  out  and  show  that  there's  no  ill-will  and  that  every- 
thing is  all  right  between  us  there  will  be  no  difficulty.  We 
shall  be  able  to  keep  the  work  going.  If  you  don't — why 
we  go  under  together,  that's  all." 

"You   can  count  me   in,"   said  Ted,   huskily. 

There  was  a  sharp  rap  at  the  door  which  opened  to  ad- 
mit Lorraine.  Unable  to  bear  the  suspense  down  in  the 
dining-room  and  consumed  with  anxiety  as  to  the  results  of 
the  interview  in  Ted's  room  after  sitting  still  as  long  as 
she  could,  she  had  slipped  upstairs.  Then,  alas,  that  one 
should  have  to  confess  it — only  on  the  ground  of  sisterly 
love  and  devotion  can  a  defence  be  offered — she  listened  at 
the  keyhole.  Not  being  able  to  hear  what  was  being  said, 
however — for  Alistair,  in  spite  of  his  earnestness,  spoke 
quietly — she  finally  determined  to  burst  in  upon  their  tete- 
a-tete,  auguring  from  what  she  heard  there  had  been  no 
renewal  of  the  quarrel  of  last  night. 

Her  eyes  swept  over  the  two  figures  on  the  bed  search- 
ing the  faces  keenly  for  indications  as  to  the  status  quo. 
She  was  relieved  evidently  by  what  she  saw  and  she  glanced 
hastily  from  them  to  the  tray  upon  the  dressing  table,  its 
contents  untouched.  Then  as  quickly  she  looked  back  again, 
her  gaze  resting  accusingly  on  Alistair. 

The  latter  had  followed  her  glance  and  now  conscience- 
stricken  had  risen  to  his  feet,  his  face  rosy  with  confusion ; 
for  he  was  still  young  enough  to  blush  on  occasion. 

"Oh,  I  say,  I'm  really  sorry,  Miss  De  Roche,  I  quite 
forgot  about  the  tray;  and  I'm  afraid,  Ted,  it'll  all  be  cold.'' 

The  glimmer  of  a  smile  appeared  for  a  moment  on  the 
girl's  face,  a  smile  of  amusement  and  malicious  enjoyment 
of  his  distress. 

"And  after  all  my  trouble  to  fix  up  something  tasty  and 
tempting,"  she  said  reproachfully,  going  over  to  the  dress- 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  169 

ing  table.  "Cold  as  a  stone!  I'll  take  it  down  and  have 
it  warmed  in  a  jiffy." 

"That's  a  good  sort,  Sis,"  said  Ted;  "but  don't  bring  it 
up  again  for  I'll  come  downstairs  and  eat  it.  I'll  be  dressed 
in  two  minutes,  for  Mr.  Kilgour  and  I  must  be  out  and  get 
the  men  to  work." 

Lorraine  with  the  tray  in  her  hands  paused  at  the  door- 
way to  stare  at  him  in  amazement ;  and  then,  with  one  quick, 
fleeting  glance  at  Alistair,  was  it  of  hate  or  admiration,  or 
both,  she  hurried  from  the  room. 

"What  will  happen  next !"  she  exclaimed  to  herself  in, 
wonder  and  astonishment. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

THE  men  had  fed  their  teams  as  usual ;  but  after  break- 
fast, instead  of  going  out  to  the  fields  to  work  they 
hung  around  in  one  corner  of  the  corral  and  discussed  the 
situation.  Only  two  of  them,  Dan  Anderson  and  Jimmy 
Palliser  had  been  present  with  Dick  Evie,  the  foreman  to 
witness  the  affair  at  the  hotel  in  which  Ted  De  Roche  and 
the  boss,  Olney  Layburn  had  come  to  grief  at  the  hands 
of  this  upstart  stranger. 

They  had  had  nothing  personally  to  complain  of  Alistair's 
treatment  of  them  since  he  had  been  domiciled  at  the  ranch, 
for  he  had  been  careful  not  to  interfere  at  all  between  them 
and  Layburn.  Still  they  regarded  him  somewhat  askance; 
and  out  of  loyalty  to  the  De  Roches,  he  was  made  to 
feel  that  they  tolerated  him,  but  that  was  all. 

As  Ted  and  Alistair  passed  out  through  the  rear  of 
the  house,  where  Sing,  the  Chinaman  was  busy  making  his 
preparations  for  the  men's  lunch,  and  out  into  the  corral, 
they  were  met  almost  at  the  door  by  a  stout  figure  in  the 
usual  blue  overalls  and  carrying  an  axe.  The  man  looked 
familiar  to  Alistair,  yet  it  was  not  until  he  had  started 
speaking  with  a  broad  Scotch  accent  that  he  was  able  to 
recognise  him  as  Andy  Blair,  whose  welcome  interference 
at  the  hotel  the  night  of  the  altercation  with  Dick  Evie,  had 
quickly  quelled  the  latter's  rising  truculence. 

"Ted,  man,"  he  was  saying,  "what  is  the  matter  with  all 
you  folk  here  at  Inshallah.  Not  a  man  out  irrigatin'  as  I 
can  see ;  an  a'  yer'  watter  rinnin'  awa'  as  fast  as  it  likes  doon 
the  ditches  tae  Jenkinson's.  I'm  thinkin'  yer  hay'll  be  dry 
enough  by  hairst  time  without  wastin'  it  that  way.  It's  easy 
enough  lettin'  the  water  gang  but  ye'll  not  get  it  tae  rin 
back  again  in  a  hurry." 

He  spoke  with  a  fervour  of  indignation ;  and  as  Ted  hung 

170 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  171 

his  head  and  hesitated  to  speak,  he  went  on  with  a  renewed 
access  of  wrath. 

"Oh,  I  ken  fine  aboot  yer  ploys  o'  last  night,  you  an'  yer 
fine  cousin  brawlin'  an'  bickering  \vi'  this  billy  here.  I'm 
thinkin'  he  served  ye  gey  richt,  baith  the  twa'  o'  ye ;  an'  I 
hope  it'll  learn  ye  a  guid  lesson.  For  shame,  lad,  wi'  your 
father  lyin'  sick  an'  like  to  lose  his  gear  juist  for  lack  o' 
guidance.  And  mind,  I'm  tellin'  ye,  if  he  had  been  to  the 
fore,  this  lad  here  would  never  have  had  tae  come  a'  this 
road  seekin'  his  money.  I'm  no  blamin'  ye,  mind,"  he  said 
turning  to  Alistair,  "though  I  dinna  just  like  your  errand; 
but  it  was  time  somebody  was  beginnin'  tae  look  after  the 
way  things  was  goin'." 

Neither  of  his  listeners  seemed  to  find  words  to  answer 
him  and  he  went  on  after  a  few  moments'  pause. 

"Of  course,  it's  no,  so  tae  speak,  my  business,  an'  I'm 
likely  tae  get  little  thanks  for  stickin'  my  nose  in  whaur 
I'm  no  concerned.  I  jist  thought  that  mebbe  it  was  only 
neighbourly  to  look  in  and  see  if  there  was  naebody 
aroond  man  enough  tae  take  hold  and  keep  the  place  frae 
rack  an'  ruin.  I'll  be  stepping  noo  but  I  wish  ye  baith 
luck." 

With  a  curt  nod  to  both,  he  turned  away  down  towards 
the  gate.  "We'll  be  the  talk  of  the  whole  place,"  said  Ted, 
"if  we  don't  get  the  men  to  work  right  away;  an'  I  guess 
these  ditches  are  just  playing  mischief  with  everything.  I 
know  I  deserve  all  I  get.  I've  been  a  fool — an  awful  fool ; 
and  it'll  be  my  fault  if  we  do  lose  everything."  The  boy's 
voice  faltered.  "Say,  let's  stop  a  minute.  I  just  can't  go 
an'  face  these  fellows  just  yet — I  just  can't;"  and  he  turned 
round,  his  face  twitching  with  nervousness  so  that  Alistair 
could  not  help  pitying  his  distress. 

He  put  his  hand  on  the  boy's  shoulder  in  a  kindly  way. 

"Brace  up,  Ted,  let's  get  it  over  with,"  he  said.  "Remem- 
ber, I'm  backing  you  and  we'll  pull  through  together. 
They've  seen  us ;  and  they'll  think  we're  afraid  if  we  don't 
face  up  to  them.    We've  got  to  see  it  through  together." 

Ted's  face  lightened  just  a  shade.    He  turned  again  and 


1 72  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

the  two  walked  smartly  up  to  where  the  men  were  grouped 
together,  sitting  on  a  number  of  big  logs  that  had  been 
brought  in  the  winter  before,  to  make  firewood  for  the 
house.  Most  of  them  had  their  eyes  turned  down  and  the 
remains  of  a  grin  on  their  faces ;  but  Bob  Ainsley  and  Paul 
Lorringer  in  the  foreground,  looked  up  with  glances  that  be- 
trayed curiosity  mingled  with  hostility.  These  two,  espe- 
cially had  always  treated  Alistair  with  an  averted  air  when 
he  spoke  or  nodded  to  them  in  his  goings  to  and  fro  about 
the  ranch.  Their  faces  now  wore  the  same  unfriendly,  sul- 
len look  with  which  he  was  familiar.  It  was  a  surprise 
to  all  to  see  Ted  walking  amicably  with  his  adversary  of  the 
previous  night ;  and  they  awaited  in  silent  expectancy  the  so- 
lution of  the  riddle. 

"What's  the  matter,  boys?"  asked  Ted,  cheerily  plucking 
up  heart:  "why  aren't  you  all  out  at  your  jobs?  Andrew  tells 
me  the  ditches  are  playing  the  mischief  with  the  grain  and 
there's  all  kinds  of  trouble.  Surely  everything  doesn't  have 
to  stop  just  because  Olney  and  I  aren't  around.  You  know 
what's  happened  to  him  and — and  well,  you  might  know 
there  was  some  excuse  for  me  not  being  too  early  around 
this  morning." 

It  was  a  bitter  pill  for  Ted  to  swallow  to  refer  to  his 
own  humiliation ;  but  the  boy  did  it  manfully  so  that  Alistair, 
looking  on,  was  moved  to  admiration.  He  was  aware  that  it 
was  by  Ted  that  the  battle  must  be  fought  mainly,  not  by 
him.     The  less  he  himself  said,  the  better. 

There  was  a  faint  murmur  of  laughter  not  ill-humoured ; 
and  Bob  Ainsley  took  it  upon  himself  to  answer  for  the 
others.  There  was  no  smile  upon  his  grizzled  face,  but 
rather  a  grimmer  setting  of  the  jaw  that  boded  trouble. 

"I  guess  we  want  our  time,  that's  what's  the  matter,  kid ; 
and  the  bloomin'  ditches  can  go  to  blazes.  What  I'd  like 
to  know  is  who's  goin'  to  give  us  our  cheques  now  the  boss  is 
laid  up.  One  thing  sure,  we  ain't  goin'  to  work  for  that 
ugly  son  of  a  gun  there  that's  got  you  all  feedin:  out  of  his 
hand.  You  may  lie  down  an'  let  him  lick  you ;  but  we 
don't  intend  to.    The  sooner  you  get  out  your  cheque  book 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  173 

and  give  us  what  you  owe  us  the  better.     We  can't  fool 
round  here  all  day.     There's  lots  of  other  jobs  waitin'  for 

us." 

"Ay,  that's  right,"  chimed  in  Lorringer :  "there's  been  too 
damned  many  bosses  about  this  place  to  suit  me.  I'm  sick 
of  it,  I  am ;  the  last  cheque  I  got  wasn't  no  good  at  the  bank 
when  I  took  it  in  an'  I'd  like  to  make  mighty  sure  this  one 
be  good." 

"You  know  very  well  we  fixed  it  up,  Paul,  long  ago," 
said  Ted  hotly ;  "and  you'll  all  get  your  money  quick  enough 
if  you  have  to  go.  I  don't  see  though  what  you  want  to 
leave  for.  There  aren't  so  very  many  jobs  mebbe  as  you 
think ;  and  they're  not  as  pleasant  as  the  one  you  have  here 
with  plenty  of  good  grub  all  the  time.  'Sides  I  count  it 
pretty  mean  if  you  go  off  an'  leave  me  in  the  lurch  just 
when  I  need  you  most.     It  isn't  a  fair  deal,  is  it  ?" 

"Fair  deal  be  hanged,"  retorted  Bob  Ainsley  with  a  snort 
of  derision.  "You  can  give  us  our  time  any  day  you  feel 
like  it;  and  I  don't  see  why  we  shouldn't  ask  for  it  when 
we  want.  We  ain't  goin'  to  work  for  any  blasted  English 
toff  that  thinks  he  can  come  out  here  an'  run  things  to  suit 
himself.  Let  him  find  some  one  else  to  work  the  ranch ;  if 
he's  to  run  it,  I'm  through." 

There  was  a  murmur  of  assent  to  this. 

"Ted's  going  to  run  it  now,"  Alistair  hastened  to  put  in ; 
but  it  was  evident  that  this  explanation  was  not  convinc- 
ing. 

"Why  then,  Mr.  Kilgour,  he  sign  all  the  cheques?"  put 
in  Oscar,  the  Swede,  who  had  not  yet  spoken. 

"I  only  signed  them  with  Mr.  Layburn.  I  have  been  help- 
ing to  finance  the  crop  and  that  is  why.  You  surely  wouldn't 
object  to  that,  would  you?" 

"We  know  all  about  that,  don't  we,"  sneered  Ainsley. 
"Do  you  think  that  Olney  didn't  let  on  what  game  you  were 
playin'.  If  we  did  right  we'd  duck  you  in  the  creek,  that's 
what  we'd  do  instead  o'  sittin'  talkin'  here,  boys,  eh?" 

He  stood  up  as  he  spoke  and  looked  around  from  one  to 
the  other  suggestively;  but  though  one  or  two  looked  as 


174  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

if  they  might  be  willing  to  back  him  up,  there  was  no 
general  response.  It  was  felt  that  there  had  been  enough 
of  that  sort  of  thing.  Remembering  how  Layburn  and  Ted 
had  fared  the  night  before,  most  of  the  men  thought  that 
it  would  be  unwise  to  have  any  more  disturbances.  The 
law  had  a  long  arm  and  they  felt  that  it  would  be  rather 
a  serious  matter  to  lay  hands  on  the  young  stranger  espe- 
cially when  he  was  under  the  protection  of  Ted.  The  lad's 
influence  went  a  long  way.  At  least,  he  was  for  the  present 
the  "Boss" ;  and  whatever  was  the  reason,  it  was  evident 
that  he  was  on  friendly  terms  with  the  other. 

Alistair  watched  the  men  anxiously,  afraid  to  speak  in 
case  he  might  say  the  wrong  thing  and  make  matters  worse. 
Conscious,  as  he  was,  of  the  awkwardness  of  the  situa- 
tion for  himself  personally,  he  was  really  most  concerned 
about  the  question  of  the  men  sticking  to  their  work.  This 
he  felt  was  the  vital  matter  as  regarded  the  welfare  of  the 
ranch  and  his  father's  and  his  own  investment.  He  felt 
fairly  secure  in  the  belief  that  the  men  would  not  dare 
attack  him  thus  in  broad  daylight  and  with  Ted  there.  They 
didn't  appear  to  be  made  of  the  same  fire-eating  stuff  as 
Bob  Ainsley,  who  might  have  done  so  had  he  felt  sure  of 
the  men's  backing. 

"Shut  up,  Bob,"  said  Ted.  "You  know  you're  talking  a 
lot  of  rot  that  you'll  be  sorry  for.  Now  are  you  all  going 
to  stand  by  me;  or  are  you  going  to  let  me  down  just  for 
a  bit  of  spite?  If  my  dad  were  up  and  about,  I  bet  you 
wouldn't  desert  him,  would  you  now?  If  I  have  to  go  and 
tell  him  that  you've  all  left,  he'll  have  another  stroke." 

The  appeal  had  its  effect,  for  most  of  these  men  had 
worked  for  Mr.  De  Roche  in  the  past. 

"We'll  work  for  you  if  you'll  put  Mr.  Kilgour  off  the 
place;  but  we  won't  while  he's  around,  that's  a  cinch,"  said 
Ainsley.  "He's  a  regular  Jonah,  he  is ;  and  the  sooner  he's 
gone  the  better." 

"He's  putting  up  the  money  for  your  wages,  I  tell  you," 
said  Ted ;  "or  at  least  we  couldn't  get  it  without  him.    If  you 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  175 

like  to  work  for  nothing,  it  would  be  all  right  for  me  to 
send  him  away." 

It  was  evident  that  this  proposition,  however,  found  small 
favour  and  there  was  silence  for  a  moment  or  two.  Then 
Ivan,  the  Russian,  who  had  sat  whittling  a  piece  of  wood 
with  his  jackknife  stood  up  and  stretched  himself  lazily. 
Until  now  he  had  looked  on  with  a  grin  and  listened  to 
what  each  had  to  say  with  evident  impatience. 

"I  think  we  damnt  fools  every  one,"  he  declared.  "I 
think  we  better  get  back  to  work.  I  myself  go  irrigate  right 
now.  No  more  time  talk;"  and  without  looking  at  anyone 
he  walked  over  and  picked  up  his  shovel  from  where  it 
stood  against  the  barn.  Throwing  it  upon  his  shoulder,  he 
then  strode  off  in  the  direction  of  the  main  ditch  where  he 
had  been  irrigating  in  the  field  for  a  week  past. 

"I  tank  so  too,  I  go  feenish  my  tracking,"  said  Oscar,  the 
Swede,  getting  up  also  and  going  off  towards  the  barn  where 
his  team  were  still  standing  in  the  stall. 

"I  guess  we'll  all  stand  by  ye,  kid,"  said  Paul  Lorringer 
looking  at  Ainsley,  however,  to  seek  his  assent.  The  latter 
shook  his  head. 

"Nix  for  me,"  he  said.  "Not  on  your  life.  I'll  go  pack 
my  duds ;  and  then  I'll  be  round  for  my  cheque,  Mister  Ted;" 
and  he,  too,  strode  off. 

"All  right,  boys,"  said  Ted  to  the  others,  ignoring  Ainsley's 
defection.  "I  thought  that  you  wouldn't  turn  me  down. 
Now,  I  hope  you'll  get  right  at  it  for  there's  no  time  to 
waste." 

"Well  done,  Ted,  my  boy,"  said  Alistair  as  they  were  left 
alone;  alone,  that  is,  except  for  a  stranger  who  had  ridden 
into  the  corral  and  trotted  quickly  across  to  them,  reining 
up  his  horse. 

For  a  moment  he  scrutinised  Alistair  from  the  crown  of 
his  hat  to  the  neatly  fitting  leggings  of  pigskin.  Then  he 
quickly  dismounted  by  his  side  and  took  a  paper  from 
his  breast  pocket. 

"You  are  Mr.  Alistair  Kilgour,"  he  said. 

"That's  my  name." 


176  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

"Then,  sir,  I  arrest  you  on  a  warrant  signed  by  two 
justices  of  the  peace  for  this  district  on  a  charge  of 
assault." 

Recovering  first  from  the  shock  of  Alistair's  arrest,  Ted 
was  the  first  to  speak. 

"Oh,  you're  off  your  base  entirely,  man,"  he  said.  "You've 
just  as  much  reason  to  arrest  me  as  Mr.  Kilgour." 

"Let  me  see  the  warrant,"  said  Alistair,  pulling  himself 
together.  "I  would  like  to  know  on  whose  complaint  it 
was  sworn  out." 

"Dick  Evie  was  the  man,  I  believe,  though  I  don't  know 
him.  I  was  stopping  at  the  hotel  last  night  and  waiting 
for  breakfast  when  your  justice  of  the  peace  here, — Weiss, 
I  believe,  is  his  name — yes,  O.  Weiss,  there  it  is  at  the 
bottom — called  me  over — he  had  heard  that  I  was  an  officer 
of  provincial  police — and  asked  me  to  serve  it.  That's  all 
I  know  about  it  but  it's  perfectly  regular  and  all  I  have  to 
do  is  to  execute  it.  Sorry,  sir,  but  that's  my  business,  you 
see ;  and  if  the  complaint  is  not  founded,  no  doubt,  you'll 
be  quickly  released.  If  you'll  agree  to  go  quiet,  I'll  not 
trouble  you  with  any  bracelets.  Mr.  Weiss  said  that  I  was 
to  treat  you  as  politely  as  possible  and  Bill  Dutton  isn't  the 
man  to  go  out  of  his  way  to  be  nasty." 

Alistair  looked  at  the  document  that  deprived  him  of  his 
liberty.  Although  slightly  different  from  the  form  to  which 
he  was  accustomed  and  though  the  warrant  was  in  a  crabbed 
and  far  from  elegant  hand  writing,  still  it  appeared  to  be  in 
order  and  he  had  not  the  slightest  intention  of  resisting. 

He  asked  for  leave  to  go  to  the  house  and  get  his  coat  and 
some  cigarettes  before  accompanying  the  policeman.  They 
would  go  down  to  the  hotel  where  they  would  have  lunch, 
the  latter  said,  before  the  trial  which  was  to  be  held  in  the 
hall  beside  the  schoolhouse,  in  the  afternoon.  Weiss,  the  J. 
P.  had  told  him  that  this  would  be  the  arrangement  if  he 
was  able  to  get  his  man. 

"It  appeared  the  old  man  thought  it  was  rather  an  im- 
portant case,"  Dutton  volunteered,  "as  he  said  that  you  was 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  177 

some  kind  of  a  big  bug  in  the  old  country  where  you  came 
from,  an  attorney  or  barrister  or  somethin'." 

Alistair  smiled  and  said  nothing.  He  offered  his  captor 
a  cigarette  which  he  accepted  with  alacrity  and  they  walked 
all  three  down  towards  the  house.  As  they  did  so  one  of 
the  men  called  over  to  Ted  from  the  barn  for  some  direc- 
tions as  regards  the  work  he  was  to  begin  upon.  The  lad 
paused  in  hesitancy. 

"Don't  bother  coming  with  me  now,  Ted,"  said  Alistair; 
"but  you  may  have  to  come  down  later  on  and  help  to  keep 
me  out  of  gaol.  You'd  better  stay  with  the  men.  They're 
in  none  too  good  a  temper ;  and  if  they  hear  what  is  going  on 
down  in  the  village  it  may  require  somebody  at  their  backs 
to  keep  them  at  work. 

"Well,  send  word  if  you  need  me,"  said  Ted,  realising 
the  truth  of  what  he  said;  and  he  hurried  off  to  see  what 
was  wanted  of  him. 

Dutton  tied  up  his  horse  outside ;  and  they  passed  through 
the  kitchen  and  upstairs  into  Alistair's  room  where  the 
latter  put  on  his  coat  and  replenished  his  cigarette  case.  Go- 
ing down  the  stairs  and  outside  again  they  saw  no  one 
except  the  Chinaman.  They  walked  away  together,  Dut- 
ton's  horse  following  him  like  a  well-trained  dog. 

For  Alistair  the  walk  to  the  store  was  an  experience  that 
was  full  of  unpleasantness.  The  consciousness  that  he  was 
no  longer  a  free  man  was  bitter  and  while  outwardly  calm, 
the  turmoil  within  his  breast  was  considerable.  He  was  be- 
ginning to  have  misgivings  as  to  whether  perhaps  his  ac- 
quittal was  as  certain  as  at  first  he  had  supposed  and  he 
began  to  feel  that  he  was  very  much  alone. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

UNUSUAL  excitement  was  manifest  outside  the  village 
hall,  an  unpretentious  frame,  barnlike  building  which 
was  the  scene  of  most  of  the  local  festivities  and  many 
of  its  more  solemn  functions  as  well.  The  only  relief  to  its 
baldness  was  the  little  projecting  portico  in  front  and  the 
steps  leading  up  to  this  which  formed  a  lounging-place  for 
those  who  preferred  to  remain  outside  and  scan  all  who 
went  in. 

To-day  there  was  the  usual  knot  of  half-grown  lads  and 
young  men.  Among  the  loungers  a  buzz  of  low  talk  went 
on  for  the  trial  of  Mr.  Kilgour,  which  was  to  be  held,  was 
one  that  aroused  the  keenest  interest  in  the  community. 

Inside  also  there  was  a  murmur  of  conversation.  The 
occupants  of  the  room — and  there  might  have  been  about 
thirty — sat  for  the  most  part  on  the  forms  that  lined  three 
sides  of  the  place.    There  were  women  as  well  as  men. 

Over  on  one  side  and  near  the  small  stage  at  the  back, 
two  men  sat  at  a  small  table.  These  were  the  Justices.  One 
was  large  and  stout  with  a  reddish-brown  beard,  broad 
aquiline  nose  and  full  lips.  His  was  an  aggressive,  an  over- 
bearing face  and  bore  the  impression  of  self-satisfaction  all 
over  it.  Here  was  a  man  one  might  well  say  who  would 
readily  ride  roughshod  over  all  rights  but  his  own.  His 
name  was  Otto  Weiss,  and,  as  the  name  would  imply,  he  was 
a  German.  He  had  come  over  in  his  early  twenties  and 
had  become  naturalised  soon  after.  Now  as  one  of  the 
old  settlers  and  a  large  landowner,  he  had  been  made  a 
justice  of  the  peace.  In  spite  of  his  arrogance,  however,  he 
was  not  unpopular  as  he  was  a  good  man  to  work  for  and 
paid  and  fed  his  hands  well. 

Weiss  was  talking  very  earnestly  to  the  other  J.  P.,  a 
small  man  with  a  black  moustache,  sallow  complexion,  sunk- 

178 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  179 

en  eyes  and  high  projecting  cheekbones.  He  sat  humped  up 
in  his  chair  and  listened  meekly  to  the  stream  of  his  col- 
league's talk.  Only  now  and  then  he  put  in  a  word  or  two 
where  there  was  a  pause  that  permitted  it.  His  name  was 
Alec  Dingwall  and  he  hailed  from  Nova  Scotia.  He  also 
was  a  prosperous  man ;  and  his  farm  was  one  of  the  best 
stocked  in  the  district.  He  was  taciturn  by  nature  but  was 
recognised  as  a  very  successful  dealer. 

Alistair  sat  with  the  policeman,  Dutton  on  the  form  that 
stood  facing  the  table  at  which  sat  the  Justices.  The  police- 
man had  acted  so  far  with  uniform  good-nature  and  cour- 
tesy. The  morning  hours  the  two  had  whiled  away  over 
a  cribbage  board,  the  officer  teaching  his  prisoner  the  rules 
and  intricacies  of  the  game. 

"Mighty  cheek  all  these  people  have  coming  here  just 
out  of  curiosity.  Why  don't  they  stay  at  home  and  mind 
their  own  business?  Look  at  that  woman  over  there  with 
the  kid — it  makes  me  sick,  it  does." 

"I  suppose  they've  got  to  make  the  best  of  the  amuse- 
ment that  comes  to  them,"  said  Alistair  smiling ;  "and  while 
I  can't  say  that  it  is  altogether  pleasant  for  me,  I  suppose  I 
ought  to  be  pleased  to  be  giving  someone  enjoyment.  It  has 
been  quite  the  other  way,  of  late,  I  must  confess ;  and  it  has 
got  a  bit  on  my  nerves.  I  hate  to  be  unpleasant  to  people 
but  sometimes  you  have  to  whether  you  like  it  or  not ;"  and 
he  sighed. 

His  mind  had  recalled  the  picture  of  Lorraine  stretched 
sobbing  in  the  hammock  on  the  verandah  with  the  moonlight 
falling  upon  her.  Then,  too,  it  reverted  to  the  scene  the 
same  evening  in  the  stable  after  he  had  thrashed  her  brother 
and  sent  her  cousin  and  supposed  fiance  to  the  hospital. 
What  a  miserable  swashbuckler  she  must  have  thought  him 
and  no  wonder  that  she  hated  him  for  it.  What  girl  of 
any  spirit  could  have  forgiven  him?  He  grew  hot  too  as 
he  thought  how  he  had  overborne  her  in  the  matter  of  the 
tray.  It  had  been  almost  a  coward's  or  at  least  a  bully's 
trick.     He  might  have  got  at  Ted  later  surely,  he  reflected. 

It  was  more  refreshing  for  him  to  think  of  Miss  Pelton 


180  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

with  whom  his  relations  so  far  had  been  more  than  pleas- 
ant. He  wondered  what  she  would  think  when  she  learned 
of  his  predicament. 

His  musings,  however,  were  of  short  duration  for  he  was 
soon  made  aware  that  the  court  was  about  to  open  by  Mr. 
Weiss  rapping  heavily  on  the  table  for  order.  At  the  same 
time  he  was  surprised  to  notice  a  man,  whose  face  was 
familiar  to  him  talking  to  the  two  Justices.  Soon  he  saw 
him  rise  from  his  chair  beside  them  and  walk  over  to  take 
a  seat  at  the  side  of  the  room.  He  was  puzzled  for  a  mo- 
ment or  two  to  recall  where  he  had  seen  him  before.  Then 
all  at  once  it  came  to  him  that  this  was  Mr.  Jenks,  the  man 
he  had  met  at  the  hotel  at  Garston  who  had  giggled  so  offen- 
sively. He  was  dressed  now  in  rough  farmer's  clothes  and 
that  was  perhaps  why  Alistair  had  failed  at  once  to  recog- 
nise him. 

Mr.  Weiss'  repeated  rappings  had  by  this  time  had  the 
effect  of  separating  somewhat  the  chatting  groups  that 
were  around  the  room.  All  had  taken  seats  and  were 
waiting  expectantly.  There  was  a  great  scraping  of  chair- 
legs  on  the  wood  floor  and  a  hitching  of  forms ;  but  soon 
comparative  silence  reigned.  Mr.  Weiss  began  the  proceed- 
ings. 

'Alistair  Kilgour,  will  you  stand  up  while  I  read  the 
charge  that  has  been  laid  against  you." 

Alistair  stood  up.  The  constable  was  already  on  his  feet 
beside  him.  He  was  aware  of  a  peculiar  sensation,  not  of 
fear  exactly,  nor  of  anger  nor  humiliation,  but  a  sort  of  com- 
posite emotion  which  it  would  have  been  very  hard  for 
him  to  analyse.  He  was  conscious,  too,  of  all  these  curious 
eyes  boring  into  his  back. 

"Sir,  I  see  you  are  charged  here  with  assault  and  battery 
on  one  Olney  Layburn  by  which  the  same  was  seriously 
injured  and  now  lies  in  a  critical  condition  in  hospital.  Do 
you  plead  'guilty'  or  'not  guilty'  to  the  charge  ?" 

"I  would  like  to  have  this  case  held  over  until  my  lawyer 
arrives  to  defend  me.  I  have  telephoned  to  Kamloops  for 
him  and  I  am  expecting  him  to  arrive  at  any  minute.     I 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  181 

would  therefore  crave  your  indulgence  until  then.  I  am 
a  stranger  here  and  I  do  not  think  that  it  is  fair  to  expect 
me  to  defend  my  own  case,  especially  where  the  charge 
is  as  serious  as  the  one  that  has  been  trumped  up  against 
me  here." 

"This  is  rather  a  strange  request.  This  court's  time  is 
valuable,  young  man,  and  I  must  say  it  is  most  unusual 
for  prisoners  such  as  you  to  ask  for  a  delay  of  that  kind. 
What  do  you  think,  Mr.  Dingwall?" 

"If  the  lawyer  is  likely  to  arrive  within  a  half  hour  or 
so,  Mr.  Weiss,"  said  Dingwall,  "I  hardly  see  that  we  could 
well  refuse  to  wait  that  time  if  the  gentleman  is  sure 
that  he  will  come." 

"That's  all  very  well,"  said  Weiss  impatiently;  "but  I 
see  no  reason  why  you  should  not  plead  and  let  us  go 
on  with  the  evidence  for  the  prosecution.  By  the  time 
you  have  put  in  your  defence,  if  you  have  any,  your 
lawyer  should  be  here.  We  are  busy  men  and  we  cannot 
stay  all  afternoon.  It  is  just  such  brawls  as  this  is  that 
keep  the  country  back.  Isn't  that  so,  Dingwall  ?  Don't  you 
think  that  we  might  as  well  proceed,"  and  he  leaned  over 
close  and  whispered  something  into  the  other  man's  ear. 
The  latter  seemed  to  demur  at  first.  Then  as  the  other 
persisted,  he  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  apparently  ac- 
quiesced. 

"Mr.  Dingwall  and  I  have  decided  that  the  case  must 
proceed  at  once."     Weiss  announced  pompously. 

"I  object  to  it  proceeding  until  I  am  represented  by 
counsel,"  declared  Alistair  firmly. 

There  was  a  subdued  murmur  from  the  spectators  in 
the  hall. 

"I  wouldn't  rile  him  if  I  were  you,"  Dutton  whispered 
in  his  ear. 

"Don't  you  be  impertinent  to  the  court,"  said  Weiss 
angrily,  "or  it  will  be  the  worse  for  you.  You  have  no 
business  to  speak  at  all  in  the  matter.  We'll  hear  the  first 
witness  for  the  prosecution.  Dick  Evie?  Is  Dick  Evie 
here?" 


1 82  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

An  odd  sensation  of  oppression  seized  hold  of  Alistair, 
a  tightening  about  the  chest  and  anger  surged  up  into  his 
heart.  He  felt  like  doing  something  desperate  to  this  pomp- 
ous autocrat;  but  prudence  whispered  in  his  ear,  so  that 
with  an  effort  he  controlled  himself. 

"Well,  if  you  proceed,  please  have  the  clerk  or  who  ever 
keeps  a  report  of  the  proceedings  take  note  that  I  have 
entered  protest." 

"Dick  Evie." 

"Yes,  sir." 

Dick  had  stepped  up  to  the  front  and  stood  near  the 
table  looking  very  red  and  embarrassed.  It  was  evident 
that  courts  were  not  in  his  line. 

Perhaps  had  he  thought  beforehand  of  the  prominence 
into  which  his  action  in  swearing  out  the  warrant  was 
going  to  bring  him,  he  would  have  refused  to  have  anything 
to  do  with  it.  What  to  do  with  his  hands  seemed  to  be 
one  embarrassment.  However,  the  worst  was  that  he  had 
been  surprised  by  the  Justices'  sudden  call  with  a  quid 
of  tobacco  in  his  mouth  and  had  not  had  the  presence  of 
mind  to  withdraw  it  before  coming  forward.  He  was  some- 
what" in  awe  as  to  whether  the  bench  might  not  commit 
him  for  contempt  or  at  least  publicly  reprove  him.  Still 
he  decided  to  put  a  bold  face  on  the  matter.  It  was  not 
at  all  his  way  to  be  diffident;  but  here  he  was  out  of  his 
proper  element  and  his  usual  assurance  had  deserted  him. 

"You  are  Dick  Evie,  the  complainant  in  the  charge  against 
this  man,  Kilgour?"  Mr.  Weiss  questioned  eyeing  him 
sternly. 

"I— I  guess  so,"  stammered  Dick  and  added :  "You  ought 
to  know  me  by  this  time.     I've  worked  for  you  before 

this." 

The  words  slipped  out  in  his  nervousness  and  as  soon 
as  he  had  spoken,  he  was  aware  that  they  were  not  calcu- 
lated to  impress  the  justice  favourably.  Weiss  looked  at 
him  coldly  for  a  moment,  too  surprised  to  speak. 

"You  had  better  be  careful,  sir,"  he  said  with  a  judicial 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  183 

air.  "Remember  where  you  are  and  that  anything  that 
you  say  may  be  marked  down  against  you." 

Weiss  had  heard  of  a  phrase  somewhat  similar  being  em- 
ployed towards  criminals  just  after  their  arrest  and  it 
seemed  to  fit  in  here  very  well.  There  was  no  doubt  that  the 
witness,  at  least,  was  impressed,  for  he  turned  very  red 
and  nearly  swallowed  his  quid.  He  was  more  confused 
still  when  Dutton  administered  the  oath  to  him;  but  he 
repeated  the  words  after  him  in  a  mumbling  tone  scarcely 
audible. 

Mr.  Weiss,  pleased  to  have  properly  humbled  him,  evi- 
dently thought  that  he  was  frightened  badly  enough  for 
he  smiled  with  an  attempt  at  geniality. 

"Speak  up,  now,  Evie,  and  don't  be  afraid.  Remember 
you  are  not  the  accused  and  you  must  speak  perfectly 
freely.  We  are  here  to  get  the  truth,  the  whole  truth  and 
nothing  but  the  truth ;"  he  added  pompously  looking  to  Mr. 
Dingwell  for  his  assent. 

"You  sure  do  have  a  lot  to  say,  Weiss,"  replied  that  gen- 
tleman without  enthusiasm  turning  his  head  away.  "I  guess 
the  less  the  witness  says,  the  less  of  lies  we'll  have.  That's 
my  way  of  thinkin'  on  it.  However,  get  'im  to  go  ahead 
and  let's  get  through :  for  the  sooner  I'm  on  the  road,  the 
better." 

"Well,  I  was  in  Tim  White's  saloon  last  night,"  the  wit- 
ness continued,  "and  saw  the  fight  that  took  place  between 
Mr.  Kilgour  here  and  Olney  Layburn.  After  it  was  over 
— and  it  weren't  really  much  of  a  fight  after  all — more 
like  a  little  wrestlin'  match — this  here  Kilgour  suddenly 
seizes  hold  of  Olney  below  his  knee  and  clippin'  him  under 
the  chin  before  he  could  save  'imself,  he  knocked  him  clean 
over  backwards.  Olney,  he  hit  the  table  with  his  head  an' 
had  to  be  taken  to  the  hospital  an'  it's  a  wonder  he's  not 
dead  now.  I  ain't  one  as  objects  to  a  fair  fight ;  but  I'm 
not  goin'  to  stand  by  an'  see  my  boss  next  to  killed  by  a 
sneak  trick  like  that,  so  I  swore  out  this  charge  I  did." 

Alistair  listened  amazed  to  this  perversion  of  fact ;  and 
he  looked  around  among  the  faces  behind  him  which  were  all 


1 84  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

strained  with  eagerness  to  hear  what  was  going  on.  He 
felt  that  surely  there  would  be  denial  from  some  one  who 
had  seen  the  occurrence  and  could  not  remain  silent ;  but 
strange  to  say  there  was  not  one  there  save  perhaps  Monte 
with  his  dark,  saturnine  face,  that  he  could  remember  as 
having  been  at  the  hotel  the  night  before.  There  was  a 
brief  silence. 

"I  suppose  in  the  absence  of  counsel,  I  have  the  right 
to  cross-examine  this  witness  ?"  he  said  quickly. 

"I  guess  so,"  said  Weiss.    "Only  be  as  short  as  possible." 

"Tell  me  this  then,"  said  Alistair  addressing  Evie.  "What 
was  Layburn  doing  when  I  knocked  him  down  as  you 
say  I  did?  and  I  did,  I'm  not  denying  it " 

"He  wasn't  doin'  nothin',"  said  Evie.  "He  was  just 
walkin'  across  the  room  past  you.  It  was  after  you  had 
left  loose  of  him." 

"What  did  he  have  in  his  hand?" 

"He  didn't  have  nothin'  in  his  hand,  leastways  not  as  I 
seen." 

"Didn't  he  have  a  butcher  knife  in  his  hand?" 

"No." 

"You're  on  your  oath,  remember.  You  didn't  see  a 
knife  in  his  hand  and  that  he  was  running  at  me  to  stick 
me  with  it?" 

"No." 

The  witness's  lips  were  white  and  he  swallowed  hard  as 
if  something  in  his  throat  troubled  him  but  he  stuck  to  his 
tale. 

"That  is  all  I  wish  to  ask  him  just  now,"  said  Alistair; 
and  the  witness  on  a  word  from  Weiss  went  over  and  sat 
down  on  the  bench  at  the  side  with  a  sigh  of  relief. 

"Monte  Peresso  is  the  next  witness.    Is  he  here?" 

"You  bet  he's  here,"  said  Monte  coming  forward  with 
a  swagger,  his  spurs  rattling  bravely  as  he  stalked  with 
heavy  tread  on  the  wooden  floor.  He  took  the  oath  with  an 
ease  and  familiarity  that  betokened  that  he  was  probably 
more  familiar  with  the  observances  of  courts  than  the 
first  witness. 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  185 

"Did  you  hear  what  the  first  witness  said?"  Mr.  Weiss 
asked  him. 

"Oh,  I  heard  him  all  right,  though  he  sure  didn't  speak 

none  too  loud." 

"Do  you  corroborate  this  story." 

The  witness  seemed  puzzled.  The  word  was  new  to  him. 
However,  he  was  not  of  a  nature  to  keep  silent. 

"I  certainly  do  not.    Why  the  story's  as  true  as  gospel." 

"That's  what  I  mean,"  said  Mr.  Weiss.  "I  mean  do  you 
back  it  up." 

"Most  certain,  I  do.  Didn't  I  see  the  whole  thing  with 
my  own  eyes  just  as  he  did?" 

"Tell  us  exactly  what  you  saw  then." 

"Didn't  I  see  Mr.  Kilgour  there  trip  the  poor  chap 
when  he  wasn't  looking  and  bash  him  on  the  bean.  Olney 
he  was  just  walkin'  along  quiet  past  Mr.  Kilgour  and  not 
even  lookin'  at  him  when  he  knocks  'im  over  jist  as  Dick 
was  tellin'  you  and  breaks  his  head  for  him.  Meanest  bit 
o'  dirty  work  I've  ever  seen  an'  I've  been  among  some 
mighty  mean  cusses." 

"Let  me  examine  the  witness,  please,"  said  Alistair. 

"Go  ahead." 

"Tell  me  this,  my  man,"  said  Alistair  in  his  most  judicial 
manner;  "and  remember  that  you  are  on  your  oath  and 
that  perjury  is  a  serious  crime.  Do  you  say  that  I  took 
this  man  Layburn  treacherously  unawares — that  is,  when 
he  was  completely  off  his  guard — and  I  tripped  him  and 
knocked  him  down  so  that  he  injured  himself  seriously  in 
the  fall?    Is  that  right?" 

"You  can  bet  that's  right.  That's  just  what  I'm  sayin' 
and  don't  forgit  it,  young  man." 

"You  will  not  admit  that  what  I  did,  I  did  in  self-de- 
fence when  Layburn  was  rushing  at  me  with  a  knife." 

"No,  then,  I  will  not." 

"Now,  be  careful,  my  man,  and  speak  the  truth  to  this 
question.  Do  you  say  that  this  man  was  not  even  looking 
at  me,  did  not  even  see  me  at  all  when  I  did  this  to  him?" 


1 86  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

"Yes,  I  say  it  and  I'll  swear  to  it,"  said  Monte  with 
emphatic  intonation. 

"You  say  that  his  back  was  turned  to  me.  It  must 
have  been  if  he  did  not  see  me?"  pressed  Alistair  leaning 
forward  in  his  earnestness  and  glowering  at  the  witness. 
The  sharp-cut  contour  of  his  face  showed  more  marked  as 
he  gloomed  upon  the  cowboy  whose  whole  attitude  was  ex- 
pressive of  defiance  and  hate. 

"As  sure  as  death,  it  was ;  and  you  took  him  cowardly 
from  behind." 

Alistair  turned  to  the  bench. 

"One  of  these  men  must  be  lying.  The  first  witness 
says  that  Layburn  was  walking  past  me  and  I  hit  him 
under  the  chin  and  tripped  him  up  by  catching  his  leg 
under  the  knee.  The  other  says  I  slipped  up  behind  him 
when  his  back  was  turned  to  me  and  knocked  him  over." 

"No,  then,  but  I  didn't,"  said  Monte  quickly,  seeing  that 
he  had  let  himself  fall  into  a  trap.  "I  didn't  mean  that 
at  all.    The  chap  took  me  up  wrong." 

"I  don't  believe  that  either  of  these  men  is  telling  the 

truth,"    said    Dingwall   with    an    expression    of    weariness. 

"Suppose,  Weiss,  that  we  have  Mr.  Kilgour  tell  us  what 

happened   and  give   us   a   little  enlightenment.     As   it   is, 

we're  quite  in  the  dark." 

"Well,  I'm  sure  I've  no  objection.  Fire  away,  Mr.  Kil- 
gour.   Give  us  your  side  of  the  story." 

"The  facts  of  the  case  are  merely  these,"  went  on  Alis- 
tair thus  encouraged.  "Layburn  and  I  had  a  bit  of  a  fight 
in  which  I  had  the  better  of  him.  I  got  a  hold  on  him  that 
he  couldn't  break  away  from.  It's  a  little  trick  I  know  of — 
nothing  wonderful  at  all.  I  let  him  loose  on  his  promis- 
ing to  keep  quiet.  As  I  was  walking  away,  he  picked  up  a 
knife  and  made  for  me.  Somebody  warned  me  he  was 
coming  and  I  turned  in  time  to  save  myself.  To  do  so, 
I  caught  him  under  the  chin  with  one  hand  and  under 
the  knee  with  the  other  and  threw  him  over  backwards. 
I  was  sorry  it  turned  out  so  seriously ;  but  it  wasn't  my 
fault.     What  I   did,  I   had  to  do  in   self-defence.     Any 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  187 

credible  witness  that  saw  the  occurrence  will  bear  me  out. 
There  is  nothing  more  about  it.  I  ask  for  a  dismissal  as 
I  am  sure  you  must  see  that  if  any  charge  should  be 
brought,  it  should  be  against  the  injured  man.  I  think 
that  Layburn  would  not  have  done  it  had  he  not  been  in 
a  passion.  I  am  not  bearing  any  malice  against  him;  but 
it  is  probably  better  for  him  not  to  have  this  matter  go  any 
further.    I  demand  a  dismissal  of  the  case." 

"Not  so  fast,  young  man,  not  quite  so  fast,"  said  Weiss 
evidently  not  pleased  at  the  turn  affairs  were  taking.  Such 
presumption  on  the  part  of  the  prisoners  who  usually  came 
before  him  was  altogether  outside  of  his  experience. 

"This  matter  must  be  probed  out  and  we  can't  dismiss 
it  just  as  easily  as  you  seem  to  think.  A  respected  neigh- 
bour has  been  pretty  nigh  killed  and  you  appear  to  be  to 
blame  for  it.  Indeed,  you  admit  having  done  the  mis- 
chief though  you  may  claim  that  you  had  to  do  it.  These 
other  men  say  no,  that  you  did  it  by  foul  play  and  we've 
got  to  make  sure.    The " 

Here  he  was  interrupted  by  Dingwall. 

"Tut,  tut,  Weiss,  I  really  think  that  this  has  gone  far 
enough.  After  all,  the  whole  thing  was  in  a  fight  and  it 
would  appear  as  if  Layburn  got  his  medicine.  He  should 
keep  out  of  such  fights.  This  young  man  has  a  good 
enough  reputation  I  presume,  and  I  don't  see  why  we  can't 
just  dismiss  the  case.  You  know  that,  ten  chances  to  one, 
the  man,  Monte  is  lying.  He's  a  good  enough  cowboy — 
we  all  know  that  and  you  needn't  glare  at  me  so,  Monte — 
you  know  I  am  no  bluffer  if  you  are." 

"I  don't  know  that  the  young  man  does  bear  a  good 
reputation,"  said  Weiss.  "From  what  Mr.  Jenks  over 
there  has  told  me  since  I  came  into  the  hall,  there  are  some 
other  very  suspicious  circumstances  connected  with  his  first 
appearance  in  the  district — very  suspicious  circumstances," 
he  repeated  shaking  his  head  with  gravity. 

"Aye,  is  that  so?  and  what  kind  of  circumstances  may 
I  ask?" 


1 88  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

"Circumstances  connected  with  a  mighty  queer  robbery 
in  the  hotel  at  Garston,  I  understand  from  Mr.  Jenks." 

"Then  if  it's  to  have  a  bearing  on  the  case  before  us,  let 
him  come  up  here  and  be  sworn.    I  don't  want  any  hearsay." 

"I'm  sure  I  have  no  objection  to  being  sworn,  Mr.  Ding- 
wall," said  Jenks  in  his  squeaky  voice  that  Alistair  readily 
recognised.  Coming  forward,  he  took  the  oath  with  a  cer- 
tain unction  as  if  he  enjoyed  it,  rolling  the  words  on  his 
tongue  with  all  a  parson's  solemnity. 

"It  was  over  a  month  ago,"  he  began,  fixing  his  eyes 
on  Mr.  Weiss,  "that  I  was  stopping  overnight  at  the  Gar- 
ston Hotel.  Well,  about  one  or  two  in  the  morning — I 
couldn't  be  sure  which — we  were  all  awakened  out  of  our 
beds  by  a  woman's  shrieks.  We  all  jumps  up,  of  course, 
and  gets  out  into  the  hall — an'  mighty  cold  and  shivery 
it  was,  I  can  tell  you  at  that  time  of  the  night.  Old  Dan 
Billings  was  there  and  Seth  Avery  and  one  or  two  others : 
and  sure  enough  we  all  thought  a  murder  at  least  was 
being  committed. 

"  'Help,  help !'  was  the  words.  'There's  a  burglar  in  my 
room  and  he's  gone  an'  he's  taken  my  watch !' 

"Well,  we  all  ran  out  through  a  chap's  room  that  was 
in  bed ;  but  we  couldn't  see  anyone.  In  the  morning  it 
turned  out  that  it  had  been  this  chap,  Kilgour  here.  Of 
course,  he  claimed  that  he  had  come  in  late  off  the  train, 
he,  he,  he ;  and  had  started  out  to  find  a  room  that  wasn't 
filled.    Anyway  it  did  look  mighty  fishy  it  did." 

There  was  a  general  subdued  hum  of  interested  com- 
ment throughout  the  hall. 

"What  has  that  to  do  with  this,  I'd  like  to  know,"  said 
Dingwall  bluntly  to  Jenks.  "Was  it  proved  that  the  man 
stole  anything  or  are  you  just  supposing?" 

"Oh,  no,  it  wasn't  proved  at  all,  he,  he,  he"  said  Jenks 
giggling  a  trifle  nervously  this  time;  "but  all  I  say  is  that 
the  matter  looked  somewhat  fishy,  eh  ?" 

At  this  moment  there  was  a  diversion  for  someone  had 
entered  the  hall.    There  was  a  slight  stir  at  the  rear  as  he 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  189 

pushed  his  way  through  the  people  and  walked  rapidly 
up  to  where  Alistair  was  standing. 

"How  do  you  do,  Mr.  Kilgour,"  he  said  holding  out  his 
hand.  "I  am  sorry  that  I  am  so  late  but  I  have  done  my 
best.  There  is,  of  course,  some  mistake  in  this  matter,"  he 
said  when  he  had  shaken  hands.  Then,  turning  round,  he 
bowed  to  the  two  Justices.  He  was  a  tall  man,  rather 
spare  but  well-built,  with  face,  clean  shaven  and  striking 
of  feature.  There  was  something  impressive  and  com- 
manding about  him  that  seemed  to  make  Weiss  shrink  a 
little  and  lose  some  of  his  pomposity. 

"You  are  the  lawyer  he  was  expecting,  I  suppose?"  he 
said.  "We  had  to  begin  without  you :  but  we  have  only 
just  begun.  With  Mr.  Dingwall's  permission,  I  think  we 
might  stop  for  five  minutes  to  give  you  and  him  a  chance 
to  talk  it  over.     What  do  you  think,  Mr.  Dingwall." 

"Oh,  I'm  agreed,"  replied  Dingwall. 

"Come  over  into  the  corner  here  where  we  can  talk," 
said  Mr.  Somerville  to  Alistair ;  and  the  latter  followed  him. 

As  rapidly  as  he  could,  he  gave  Mr.  Somerville  the  de- 
tails of  what  had  happened.  The  lawyer  heard  him  quietly 
until  he  had  finished  and  then  put  one  or  two  questions 
as  to  points  on  which  he  was  not  quite  clear.  They  then 
returned  and  told  the  justices  that  they  were  ready  to  pro- 
ceed. 

"My  client  has  told  me  what  has  taken  place;  and  he 
had  done  just  what  I  should  have  done  myself,  that  is, 
applied  for  a  dismissal  of  the  case.  The  charge  is  ab- 
solutely false  and  unfounded  as  we  can  very  easily  prove 
by  witnesses  that  we  can  call  and  whom  we  have  had  no 
opportunity  to  summon.  Any  conviction  that  might  be 
made  we  should  certainly  appeal,  and  it  would  be  speedily 
quashed  before  the  higher  court.  I  am  sure,  however,  that 
Justices  of  your  experience  would  never  proceed  with  a 
case  trumped  up  on  such  trivial  ground  as  this  undoubtedly 
has.  My  client  has  been  the  victim  of  a  conspiracy  ever 
since  his  arrival  here.  Those  who  have  had  part  in  it  had 
better  beware.     It  would  be  an  insult,  gentlemen,  to  your 


1 9o  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

intelligence  for  me  to  address  you  any  further  in  his  behalf 
when  your  duty  lies  so  clearly  before  you — simply  prodding 
a  dead  horse.  So  I  shall  only  repeat  my  client's  request 
already  put  forward  that  you  dismiss  the  case." 

He  sat  down  and  the  two  Justices  drew  their  chairs  a  little 
closer  together — or  rather  Mr.  Weiss  drew  his  closer  to 
Mr.  Dingwall  and  made  show  of  conferring  with  him.  As, 
however,  Mr.  Dingwall  had  already  made  up  his  mind  and 
was  anxious  to  be  off  home,  there  was  little  real  conference 
about  it.    So  Mr.  Weiss  stood  up. 

"We  find  that  this  here  case  has  not  been  sufficiently 
made  good  against  the  accused — and  there  is  too  much  doubt 
as  to  whether  it  was  an  assault  or  just  a  plain  fight.  So 
we  dismiss  the  case.  I  would  also  like  to  say  that  we  hope 
there  will  be  no  more  of  such  cases  brought  before  us  with- 
out proper  cause.  Our  time  is  too  valuable  to  be  wasted  in 
this  way." 

Mr.  Somerville  turned  to  Alistair  with  a  smile  and  the 
latter  thanked  him  for  coming  so  promptly. 

"I  need  hardly  have  come  after  all,"  he  said,  "as  I  expect 
that  you  could  have  handled  the  thing  all  right  yourself. 
Still  you  never  know.  At  any  rate  I  am  pleased  it  has 
turned  out  so  satisfactorily." 


CHAPTER   XXVIII 

AFTER  Ted  saw  Mr.  Kilgour  go  off  with  the  constable, 
it  was  with  somewhat  mixed  feelings  that  he  went 
about  the  moment's  pressing  duty  of  seeing  that  the  men 
all  got  to  work  again  at  their  various  tasks  with  as  little 
loss  of  time  as  possible.  In  spite  of  considerable  soreness 
of  body  from  the  cuts  of  the  quirt,  he  was  conscious  of 
a  certain  lightness  of  spirit  as  if  he  had  been  carrying  a 
burden  and  it  had  been  taken  off  his  shoulder.  A  crisis  had 
arisen  which  called  for  him  to  act  and  thanks  to  the  prompt- 
ing of  the  man  whom  he  had  treated  as  his  enemy,  he  had 
stepped  into  the  breach  and  so  far  had  acquitted  himself  not 
unworthily.  He  was  at  the  age  when  a  lad's  personality 
struggles  to  find  self-expression  and  for  want  of  proper 
standards  and  wise  guidance,  his  had  broken  out  in  the 
wrong  direction.  As  we  have  seen  he  had  soon  discovered 
the  dangers  of  the  path  on  which  he  had  started  and  the 
difficulties  of  turning  back  on  it.  Now  with  his  Cousin 
Olney  out  of  the  way,  for  a  time,  at  least,  and  this  new  ally 
to  help  him,  he  felt  that  he  would  have  a  real  chance  to 
begin  again. 

Mingled  with  the  relief  for  his  own  spiritual  betterment, 
however,  there  was  the  sense  of  concern  for  Mr.  Kilgour 
in  his  unpleasant  predicament  of  which  he  knew  himself 
to  be  the  cause.  He  felt  some  anxiety  as  to  the  outcome 
although  it  seemed  certain  that  he  must  be  set  free  as  soon 
as  the  J.  P.'s  had  an  opportunity  to  hear  the  facts— that 
is,  if  these  were  as  Mr.  Kilgour  had  told  him;  and  as  has 
been  said,  he  had  little  doubt  as  to  that. 

It  took  him  all  forenoon  to  get  everything  going  smoothly 
again  and  the  men  each  doing  his  work  to  the  best  ad- 
vantage.   When  he  returned  to  the  house  at  lunchtime,  he 

191 


192  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

learnt  that  the  Justices  were  to  hold  court  at  the  hall  at 
two  o'clock. 

In  response  to  a  request  from  a  neighbour  sent  by  tele- 
phone, Lorraine  had  ridden  off  after  breakfast  to  take  some 
medicine  to  an  old  lady  ten  miles  away,  who  had  been  sick. 
She  was  not  likely  to  be  back  till  late  in  the  afternoon. 
Ted  was  just  starting  off  to  go  down  to  the  hall  when  a  man 
arrived  from  Kamloops  who  had  come  to  see  some  young 
pedigreed  boars  that  Olney  had  advertised  for  sale.  He  was 
delayed  for  a  time  with  him,  so  that  it  was  almost  two 
when  finally  he  approached  the  door  of  the  place.  Monte 
was  standing  at  the  steps  and  came  to  meet  him. 

"Where  you  goin',  kid?"  he  asked  in  his  gruff,  hectoring 
way. 

"Goin'  to  the  trial,  I  guess,  where  everybody  else  is,  I 
suppose,"  said  Ted  not  liking  his  manner. 

"Better  not,  kid;  better  turn  back.  You  ain't  wanted  in 
there." 

"Turn  back  nothin',"  retorted  Ted  with  asperity ;  "what'd 

I  do  that  for?" 

"They'll  call  you  as  a  witness  if  you  go  an'  I  guess  you 
don't  want  that,  eh,"  said  Monte  leered  unpleasantly.  "The 
chap  gave  ye  some  weltin',  didn't  he  though?  and  I'd  like 
to  see  him  'put  over  the  way'  for  a  month  or  two  to  cool 
his  uppishness.  There's  nothin'  like  a  bit  o'  hard  labour 
on  the  dope  they  feed  ye  there  to  take  the  starch  out. 
I've  tried  it  myself  so  I  know,  ye  see." 

"Well,  if  you  want  to  see  him  get  that  I  don't,  in  spite 
of  what  he  did  to  me.  I  guess  it  was  comin'  to  me  for 
what  I  did  to  him.  That's  what  I've  come  down  for,  to 
see  that  he  doesn't  get  it." 

"Oh,  ye  have,  have  ye?"  said  Monte  with  sinister  in- 
tonation. "Well,  still  I  would  say  ye'd  better  go  back 
again.  Listen  to  me,  kid ;"  and  he  came  unpleasantly  close 
to  the  youth  clutching  him  by  the  shoulder  and  speaking 
into  his  ear  with  a  great  affectation  of  secrecy: 

"I'm  tellin'  ye  and  don't  you  forget  it  that  it'll  be  the  best 
thing  that  can  happen  both  for  you  and  for  me  if  they 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  193 

'put  him  over'  for  this ;  for  we're  in  a  hole  both  of  us — a 
bad  one.  I  can't  tell  you  any  more  now ;  but  you  come  to 
my  cabin  to-night  round  eight  o'clock  and  you'll  know 
then.  I've  got  to  get  back  inside  for  I'm  needed  there. 
You  get  home  to  the  ranch.  Don't  forget  to-night  now ; 
I'll  count  on  you,  so  don't  disappoint  me,  see?" 

Ted  would  fain  have  detained  him  to  hear  more;  but  he 
rushed  away  with  a  look  that  was  sinister  and  at  the 
same  time  cautioned  secrecy.  The  boy  stood  for  a  moment 
or  two  undecided  in  the  middle  of  the  road,  dismayed  and 
dumfounded  by  Monte's  words.  Then  sick  with  fear,  he 
turned  back  towards  the  ranch.  It  might  be  that  he  was 
abandoning  Mr.  Kilgour  when  he  had  promised  to  stand 
by  him,  still,  if  what  Monte  said  was  true  it  could  hardly 
be  expected  that  Ted  should  keep  to  his  compact  of  the 
morning  at  his  own  imminent  peril. 

The  remainder  of  the  afternoon  passed  wretchedly  while 
he  worked  hard  irrigating,  not  coming  home  till  supper- 
time,  when  he  found  the  news  of  Mr.  Kilgour's  acquittal 
awaiting  him.  The  latter  had  sent  a  message  with  one  of 
the  men  to  say  that  he  was  going  to  the  Appleby's  for 
supper. 

Towards  eight  o'clock  Ted  saddled  his  horse,  Dandy 
and  rode  off  to  Monte's.  As  he  came  past  the  house, 
Lorraine  was  on  the  verandah  and  called  to  him. 

"You're  not  going  to  the  hotel,  Ted,  are  you  ?"  she  asked 
with  a  note  of  entreaty  which  wrung  the  boy's  heart  with 
remorse  and  despair.  If  she  knew  where  he  was  going 
and  for  what  reason,  she  would  have  far  more  cause  for 
distress  than  if  he  had  been  going  to  Tim  White's,  he 
thought  bitterly. 

"No,  I'm  not  going  to  the  hotel,  Sis;  don't  worry,"  he 
called  back  in  as  cheerful  a  tone  as  he  could  muster;  and 
fearful  that  she  might  question  him  further,  with  a  wave 
of  his  hand  to  Lorraine  he  put  Dandy  to  a  lope  with  a 
touch  of  his  knee  and  was  off  down  the  driveway. 

It  was  a  fine  evening,  with  a  fresh  and  squally  wind  com- 
ing from  the  south  driving  a  flock  of  fluffy  white  clouds 


i94  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

like  sheep  before  it,  and  making  a  noise  like  the  sea  in 
the  leaves  of  the  cottonwoods  as  the  boy  rode  along,  his 
lithe  body  swaying  gently  with  the  rocking-horse-like  gait 
of  his  beast.  There  was  a  freshness  in  the  air  which  bore 
with  it  faint  odours  brought  from  distant  spaces,  faint  and 
evanescent  but  delightfully  suggestive  and  stimulating  to 
young  blood.  On  the  lake  countless  little  whitecaps  scur- 
ried across  the  usually  placid  surface.  The  world  to  Ted 
had  never  looked  fairer  and  home  had  never  seemed  dearer 
to  him.  Yet  he  had  spoilt  it  all  for  himself,  he  reflected 
gloomily. 

On  arriving  at  the  shack  he  tied  Dandy  to  a  tree.  He 
went  in  to  find  Monte  alone  and  just  finishing  his  supper 
of  tinned  salmon  and  bread  and  butter  washed  down  with 
coffee  taken  black.  The  bad  man  did  not  look  so  fierce 
thus  relaxed  before  his  frugal  board  as  he  munched  away 
vigorously  with  occasional  deep  draughts  from  a  large 
moustache-cup  which,  although  minus  its  handle,  still  bore 
evidence  in  its  rich  gilding  and  ingenious  shape  of  a  pristine 
splendour. 

"Glad  you've  come  early  before  the  other  chaps  get  here," 
he  said,  as  Ted  threw  himself  down  on  the  bed.  "I  wanted 
to  talk  to  you  quiet-like." 

"Who's  coming?"  asked  Ted  quickly. 

"Don't  be  af eared;  it's  only  Jack  Beckles  and  another 
chap  like  him  that  I  guess  you've  seen  before.  That 
bloomin'  galoot  got  off  after  all,  this  afternoon,  I  sup- 
pose you  know." 

"Yes,  I  heard  all  right.  He  was  too  strong  for  you 
even  if  you  fellows  did  tell  lies  about  the  affair.  I  see 
now  why  you  didn't  want  me  there." 

Ted  spoke  boldly  but  his  heart  was  trembling  at  his 
temerity  for  he  was  afraid  of  the  man's  anger.  The  other 
looked  at  him  for  a  moment  under  lowered  brows. 

"Oh,  you  do,  do  you?"  he  said  at  last  with  a  sinister 
sneer.  "Maybe  you  think  you  know,  but  I  bet  you  don't 
know  all ;  and  when  you  do,  you'll  not  talk  so  pert  about 
it  or  I  miss  my  guess.     Maybe  you  don't  know  that  he's 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  195 

on  to  us  for  that  little  job  the  night  we  ran  him  out  and 
frisked  his  wad;  and  he's  just  waitin'  to  pounce  on  us  and 
put  us  all  over  the  road.  Five  years'd  be  the  very  least  for 
any  of  us,  even  you,  young  as  you  are,  for  the  like  of 
that." 

He  had  pushed  back  the  dishes  from  before  him  on  the 
table  and  was  leaning  on  it  with  arms  folded,  glowering 
darkly  at  the  pale  face  of  the  boy,  who  had  now  risen 
up  on  the  side  of  the  bed  and  sat  staring  back  in  a  sort 
of  hypnotised  stupefaction.  After  some  seconds  of  silence, 
Ted  found  speech  though  his  lips  were  dry  and  his  voice 
husky  and  strained  in  the  stress  of  his  fear. 

"I  didn't  'frisk  his  wad'  as  you  call  it.  I  would  sooner 
have  died  than  touched  a  nickel  from  him  and  I  never  got 
a  cent  of  it." 

"Doesn't  matter,  kiddo ;  you  knew  about  it  and  that's  all 
that's  necessary.  Who'd  believe  that  you  didn't  have  your 
share;  you  knew  about  it  and  that's  enough  to  make  you 
sweat  like  the  rest  of  us." 

"I  didn't  know  till  after;  I  could  swear  that  I  didn't." 

"Much  good  swearing  would  do ;  you  might  swear  till 
you  were  black  in  the  face  and  small  notice  the  judge 
would  take  of  that,  or  the  jury  either.  Why,  you  were 
the  ringleader  in  the  job;  poor  Jack  and  I  were  only  the 
tools,  see!"  and  Monte  leaned  back  and  grinned  gargoyle- 
like. 

Ted  groaned  and  buried  his  face  in  his  hands,  his  shoul- 
ders hunched  like  those  of  an  old  man. 


CHAPTER    XXIX 

I  DON'T  believe,  Lorraine,  that  you  are  glad  to  see  me 
home  again  at  all,"  said  Olney. 

It  was  the  morning  after  he  had  arrived  back  from 
the  hospital  looking  pale  and  weak  from  his  injury.  Lor- 
raine had  walked  out  in  the  pasture  field  behind  the  barn 
to  look  at  the  colts ;  and  Olney,  whom  she  had  not  expected 
to  see  up  so  early,  had  followed  her.  She  had  dreaded  this 
moment  when  he  would  have  the  opportunity  to  speak  to 
her  alone  and  had  calculated  to  defer  it  as  long  as  pos- 
sible ;  but  when  he  had  a  purpose  in  mind  it  was  difficult 
to  thwart  him. 

"Nonsense,  Olney;  why  will  you  say  such  unkind  things 
to  me  whenever  you  come  back;  and  on  this  beautiful 
morning,  too.    You  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  yourself." 

"I  am  not  unkind,  Lorraine — at  least,  not  any  more 
than  I  have  good  reason  to  be  when  I  return  and  find  this 
Kilgour  still  here  on  better  terms  than  ever  with  you  all 
after  he  has  nearly  killed  me." 

"You  know  very  well  why  he  is  here,  Olney,  and  you 
know  that  I  am  not  friendly  with  him  at  all.  But  I  have 
to  be  civil.  We  can't  help  it  that  we  have  to  put  up  with 
him.    I  don't  like  it  any  more  than  you  do." 

"Don't  tell  me  that.  Anyway  it  looks  mighty  queer  to  me. 
Ted's  just  as  bad  as  you  are  or  worse.  I  believe  the  chap 
has  hypnotised  you  all.  You'll  be  sorry  one  of  these  days, 
you'll  see." 

"But  that  wasn't  what  I  wanted  to  speak  to  you  about, 
Lorraine,  dear,  and  you  mustn't  mind  if  I  am  cross.  That 
knock  on  the  head  that  I  got  would  make  anyone  feel  a 
bit  sore.  I've  been  thinking  a  lot  since  I  have  been  in  the 
hospital,  Lorraine;  there  was  nothing  else  to  do  but  think 
all  day  and  it  was  mighty  lonesome,  you  may  believe,  for 

196 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  197 

a  chap  like  me  that  never  was  laid  up  hardly  in  his  life 
before." 

"I  know,  Olney,  it  must  have  been  and  I  was  thinking 
of  you." 

"Were  you  really,  Lorraine?  I  am  glad  of  that  for  it 
was  you  who  were  in  my  thoughts  all  the  time  and  I  was 
wondering  what  you  would  say  to  me.  You  remember 
what  I  asked  of  you  the  day  we  were  out  on  the  range?" 

It  was  not  likely  that  she  had  forgotten— it  had  been  a 
load  on  her  mind  ever  since.  The  anger  that  she  had  felt 
against  him,  however,  was  strangely  qualified  by  his  weakness 
and  she  found  that  her  feeling  was  now  one  of  pity  and  of 
regret  that  she  should  have  to  wound  him. 

"I  told  you,  Lorraine,"  he  went  on,  "that  I  must  have 
an  answer  by  the  time  of  the  Fair  and  that  I  would  give 
you  until  then  to  think  it  over.  What  do  you  say?  I 
love  you  now  more  than  ever  and  I  cannot  do  without 
you,  dear." 

"I  gave  you  my  answer  then,  Olney;  and  I'm  sorry — 
I'm  sorry  that  I  cannot  change  it.  I  just  like  you  as  my 
cousin,  Olney;  and  you  are  very  dear  to  me  that  way — 
but— but  that  is  all." 

"But  why?  then  why  if  you  feel  that  way — if  you  love 
me ?" 

He  paused  at  a  loss  for  words  and  it  was  strange  to 
her  to  see  him  at  a  loss. 

"But  I  don't  love  you — I  couldn't  love  you  in  that  way." 

All  at  once  his  face  became  dark  with  passion;  and 
when  he  spoke  his  voice  was  hoarse  and  the  words  came 
jerkily. 

"It's  that  Britisher,  I  believe,  blast  him;  you're  in  love 
with  him.  We  are  none  of  us  good  enough  here  for  you 
now.  But  I'll  pay  him  out  and  I'll  pay  you  out  too;  and 
I'll  get  even  on  Ted.  You've  both  of  you  turned  your  backs 
on  me.  You  think  he's  rich  and  young  and  stylish  with 
his  baggy  pants  and  his  high-flown  airs;  but  you'll  see  yet 
where  you  come  off  at  with  him.  He  doesn't  care  a  rap 
for  you — he " 


198  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

"You  need  not  say  any  more,  Olney,"  she  interrupted,, 
her  head  raised  high  and  her  face  pale,  "for  I  shall  not 
listen  to  you.  Your  knock  on  the  head  must  have  made 
you  mad  to  say  such  things." 

"Oh,  it  must  have  made  me  mad,  must  it,"  he  sneered. 
"Well,  we'll  see.  If  I  am  mad,  you  and  Ted  had  better  look 
out  for  me;  for  I  am  not  going  to  be  treated  so  after  the 
way  I  have  slaved  here  for  your  father  and  you  when  I 
might  have  been  elsewhere,  making  good  money  for  myself." 

"I  must  go  in  now,  Olney,"  she  said.  "You  needn't 
come  with  me  for  you  have  told  me  enough." 

She  turned  quickly  away  and  walked  back  towards  the 
house  leaving  him  standing  looking  after  her.  When  she 
came  to  the  corral  her  thoughts  were  distracted  by  a  some- 
what animated  scene. 

The  place  was  in  a  hubbub  very  different  from  its  usual 
peace  fulness.  Ted,  Alistair  and  Paul  Palliser,  the  chore 
boy,  and  Sing  were  all  racing  around  in  the  hitherto  vain 
endeavour  to  chase  a  large  boar  into  a  pen  where  a  still 
larger  one  was  being  fattened  for  the  butcher.  The  big- 
ger one  had  been  cribbed  off  at  one  end  of  the  pen  by 
a  large  board  put  across  and  wedged  tightly  in  place  and 
the  door  thrown  open  to  let  the  smaller  one  in.  The  latter, 
however,  had  shown  decided  objections  to  the  loss  of  his 
freedom.  He  had  broken  out  of  the  field  where  he  was 
kept  and  wandered  into  the  corral  where  he  had  been  mak- 
ing a  nuisance  of  himself.  Now  all  the  available  strength 
of  man  and  boy  power  had  been  mustered  to  put  him  where 
he  would  be  out  of  mischief  for  the  time  being.  As  he 
weighed  about  four  hundred  pounds  and  was  astonish- 
ingly nimble  and  fleet  for  his  size,  the  problem  of  his  cap- 
ture was  proving  a  difficult  one. 

"Come  on  and  give  us  a  hand,  Lorraine,"  called  out  Ted 
as  he  saw  his  sister  approaching.  "This  old  grunter  is 
about  as  stubborn  a  case  as  I  ever  saw.  We  are  just 
rounding  him  up  for  another  try." 

She  took  hold  of  the  stick  which  he  handed  her.  Little 
Paul  Palliser  and  Sing,  the  Chinaman,  were  now  driving 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  199 

the  immense  animal  up  again  towards  the  door  of  the 
pen  with  lusty  whacks  of  their  sticks.  Three  times  already 
they  had  had  it  with  its  nose  looking  in  where  they  wanted 
it  to  go;  and  three  times,  at  the  very  moment  when  they 
thought  they  had  achieved  success,  it  had  turned  and  with 
a  rush  and  an  indignant  snort  had  pierced  through  their 
line.  Its  weight  and  tusks  were  such  that  no  one  dared 
to  put  himself  right  in  the  beast's  way. 

Lorraine  was  glad  of  the  distraction  from  her  thoughts 
and  readily  lined  up  with  the  others ;  and  whether  it  was 
because  of  her  reinforcement  or  that  the  boar  had  made  up 
his  mind  that  he  might  as  well  give  in,  this  time  he  allowed 
himself  to  be  driven  inside.  The  door  was  at  once  closed 
behind  him. 

The  larger  animal,  meanwhile,  when  it  saw  this  stranger 
intruding  into  its  quarters  seemed  to  bristle  with  rage 
and  quickly  broke  down  the  barrier  that  had  been  set  up  to 
keep  it  in  one  part  of  the  pen.  It  looked  for  a  moment 
as  if  there  would  be  a  battle  royal,  for  the  beast,  which 
must  have  weighed  about  five  or  six  hundred  pounds, 
rushed  upon  the  newcomer  with  its  tusks  bared  as  if  it 
would  have  torn  it  to  pieces.  The  latter  was  greatly  fright- 
ened and  squealed  loudly  with  terror ;  but  he  had  the  cour- 
age and  sense  to  keep  his  face  to  his  enemy.  The  bigger 
beast  stopped  short  apparently  too  prudent  to  risk  battle 
while  the  other  showed  fight ;  and  there  the  two  stood, 
muzzle  to  muzzle,  their  tusks  bared,  their  jowls  frothy  with 
foam,  and  their  malignant  little  eyes  full  of  hate.  The 
smaller  beast  was  squealing  as  loudly  as  he  could  and  made 
no  secret  of  his  fear  while  the  larger  was  roaring  with 
rage  but  in  a  deeper  key,  so  that  the  noise  of  the  duet  was 
appalling.  Then  the  smaller  would  make  a  rush  to  the 
other  end  of  the  pen  followed  by  the  bigger  one,  still  too 
prudent  to  risk  the  issue ;  and  there  they  would  stand  for 
a  time  making  pandemonium,  with  their  cries. 

Ted  and  Sing  and  the  boy  had  all  moved  away  having 
no  further  interest  in  the  matter  now  that  they  had  accom- 
plished what  was  needed,  and  Lorraine  found  herself  stand- 


200  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

ing  alone  with  Alistair.  He,  like  herself,  had  been  in  a 
manner  fascinated  by  the  sight  of  the  animals  and  their 
fury.  There  was  something  revolting  and  horrible  in  the  in- 
tensity of  their  rage,  so  brutal  and  bestial. 

"Aren't  they  awful?"  she  said  with  a  shudder  as  her 
eyes  met  his.  "Just  because  the  big  one  had  a  hundred 
pounds  more  of  brawn  and  fat,  he  is  scaring  the  other 
nearly  to  death ;  and  yet  after  all  he  is  afraid  to  jump 
on  him,  for  he  knows  that  even  if  he  won,  he  wouldn't 
get  off  scot-free." 

"It  is  the  way  of  the  world  I  am  afraid,"  Alistair  re- 
plied. 

"That  is  true,"  she  said  sadly.  "I  believe  that  some  men 
are  just  as  cruel  as  those  brutes;"  and  she  shuddered  again. 

Alistair,  glancing  at  her  face,  saw  that  it  was  clouded 
with  deep  depression,  it  might  be  fear,  and  he  wondered. 
The  boars  had  suddenly  ceased  their  wild  clamour  though 
they  still  glared  at  each  other  watchfully. 

"You  should  not  think  of  such  problems  though.  Surely 
you  have  not  yet  had  them  thrust  upon  your  notice,  shel- 
tered as  you  have  been." 

"Have  I  not?"  and  she  laughed  a  low  laugh  that  had  no 
mirth  in  it.    "I  am  not  so  sure  of  that." 

Her  mind  was  upon  what  Layburn  had  just  said  to  her ; 
while  Alistair  thought  that  perhaps  she  was  thinking  of 
himself  and  the  mortgage  and  how  he  had  forced  himself 
upon  them. 

"Perhaps  you  consider  me  in  that  category?" 

"No,"  she  disclaimed  quickly;  "not  at  present  at  least. 
I  had  someone  else  in  mind.  Not  but  what,  perhaps,  I 
have  at  other  times  thought  of  you  somewhat  in  that  way; 
perhaps  I  was  wrong  in  that.  I — I  have  not  had  much  ex- 
perience of  life  yet;  and  perhaps — perhaps  I  am  not  now 
so  sure  of  my  judgment  as  I  was." 

She  was  speaking  in  an  intimate  way,  half  to  herself 
and  half  to  him  and  her  thoughts  were  busy.  She  was 
contrasting  the  two  men,  Layburn  whom  until  lately  she 
had  liked  and  admired,  and  this  stranger,  whom  she  had 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  201 

despised  and  hated.  Was  Mr.  Kilgour  as  bad  as  she  had 
thought?  She  had  begun  to  doubt  it  and  to  think  that 
she  had  been  mistaken  regarding  him.  She  felt  that  he  had 
qualities  that  made  him  in  a  manner  akin  to  her ;  and  she  was 
conscious  of  his  sympathy  now  when  she  was  troubled  over 
Olney's  threats  and  she  needed  sympathy.  Her  aunt  was 
right,  she  reflected ;  he  had  a  nice  face  and  his  eyes  were 
kindly. 

Alistair  knew  that  she  was  in  trouble  of  some  kind 
and  he  felt  a  longing  to  comfort  her;  but  it  was  absurd 
for  him  to  think  of  such  a  thing,  he  told  himself.  Was 
he  not  irrevocably  in  disgrace  with  her?  He  imagined 
that  her  depression  had  something  to  do  with  Layburn's 
return;  and  he  had  guessed  that  the  tw^  were  engaged. 
It  was  probably  a  lover's  quarrel  and  he  himself  the 
cause  of  it.  Layburn  was  jealous,  no  doubu  Well,  there 
was  no  need  for  that. 

"I  am  afraid  that  your  cousin  is  annoyed  that  you  are 
still  harbouring  me  in  spite  of  my  quarrel  with  him  and 
its  consequences.  Would  it  help  matters  if  I  went  away  for 
a  week  or  two?  I  hate  to  be  the  cause  of  any  serious 
breach  between  you  if  it  can  be  avoided." 

She  looked  at  him  for  a  moment  or  two  without  reply 
moved  by  his  consideration  for  her.  She  had  not  expected 
it  from  him.  When  she  did  speak  it  was  without  hesita- 
tion. 

"No,"  and  she  raised  her  head  with  spirit,  "though  I 
thank  you  sincerely  for  the  offer.  He  shall  not  dictate 
to  me.  He  has  no  right.  It  was  good  of  you  to  make  the 
suggestion,  and  I  do  appreciate  it,  indeed.  At  the  same 
time — "  and  she  smiled  at  him,  her  lips  twitching  with 
a  touch  of  mischief — "at  the  same  time,  if  you  had  made 
it  a  fortnight  ago,  I  should,  I  am  afraid,  have  accepted 
it  with  alacrity." 

With  a  faint  salutation  she  turned  and  walked  towards 
the  house  leaving  him  to  his  thoughts. 


CHAPTER   XXX 

THE  great  day  of  the  Rexham  Fair  came  at  last  and 
the  weather  was  bright  and  balmy.  Great  prepara- 
tions had  been  taking  place  all  over  the  district  within  a 
radius  of  twenty  miles  or  so,  and  at  many  a  lone  home- 
stead and  ranch,  horses  and  cows  and  pigs  found  themselves 
for  days  or  even  weeks  the  object  of  most  unusual  atten- 
tions, groomings  and  cleansings  often  of  the  most  bother- 
some and  unwelcome  kind. 

Soon  after  sunrise,  numerous  little  cavalcades  had  al- 
ready started  out ;  for  some  had  to  come  many  miles,  and 
certain  animals  to  be  exhibited  could  not  proceed  any 
faster  than  a  walk.  To  the  people  living  around  Duck 
Lake,  however,  such  an  early  start  was  not  necessary  for 
it  was  only  about  six  miles  to  the  Fair  Grounds ;  but  all 
the  same,  at  every  ranch  house  and  stableyard  there  was 
plenty  of  bustle  and  stir.  Inshallah  was  no  exception  to 
the  general  rule  and  Alistair  found  himself  affected  by 
the  holiday  atmosphere  prevailing.  Actually  at  the  break- 
fast table  he  found  himself  drawn  into  the  discussion  as 
to  the  merits  of  some  of  the  animals  showing  in  the  vari- 
ous events;  for,  even  in  spite  of  the  short  time  he  had 
been  in  the  district,  he  had  already  got  to  know  some- 
thing about  the  best  mounts  and  their  riders.  He  was 
looking  forward  to  the  day  with  much  interest,  not  only 
for  the  novelty  of  the  celebration  but  because  he  alread)' 
knew  so  many  that  were  taking  part. 

Even  the  auspiciousness  of  the  occasion,  however,  had 
not  altogether  dispelled  the  restraint  that  had  become  habit- 
ual to  the  company  around  the  table ;  and  it  was  plain 
enough  to  Alistair  that  neither  Lorraine  nor  Ted  was 
going  forth  with  a  mind  that  was  free  from  care.  Olney 
Layburn   had   not   put   in   an   appearance   at   all  but   had 

202 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  203 

taken  his  breakfast  with  the  men;  and  Lorraine,  after 
remarking  on  his  absence  to  her  aunt,  had  relapsed  for 
the  moment  into  a  fit  of  abstraction  in  which  it  was  plain 
that  her  thoughts  were  by  no  means  pleasant.  Soon,  how- 
ever, she  rallied  her  spirits  and  began  to  discuss  with  Ted 
the  best  tactics  by  which  to  make  Pronto  win  the  mile 
race.  For  Ted  was  to  be  the  jockey  and  the  making  of 
his  outfit  of  blue  and  silver  had  occupied  the  girl's  spare 
hours  for  several  evenings.  In  spite  of  the  fact  that  he  had 
been  looking  forward  to  this  race  for  some  time,  however, 
the  boy  appeared  depressed;  and  he  replied  to  Alistair's 
good-natured  jokes  and  teasing,  at  times  with  a  kind  of 
nervous  hilarity  and  again  with  a  forced  smile  and  a  con- 
strained manner,  which  soon  caused  the  latter  to  desist  and 
turn  his  remarks  to  Lorraine. 

Here,  he  had  little  better  success.  The  girl  was  sick  at 
heart  for  fear  that  Ted  would  be  led  away  by  the  hotel 
crowd  with  which  he  had  become  hail-fellow-well-met,  and 
begin  drinking  again.  Her  cousin's  threat  was  still  ringing  in 
her  ears ;  and  she  knew  that  this  was  the  day  of  all  days 
in  which  Ted  stood  in  worst  danger  of  being  led  back  into 
his  folly.  From  past  experience  of  the  Fair  she  was  well 
aware  of  the  drinking  and  fighting  that  went  on  amongst 
the  rough  element.  So  she  feared  that  it  would  be  extremely 
likely  in  the  excitement  of  the  various  events  and  the  gene- 
ral hilarity  that  prevailed,  for  all  Ted's  good  resolutions, 
to  which  he  had  stood  stoutly  ever  since  the  night  of  his 
thrashing  from  Mr.  Kilgour,  to  suffer  disaster. 

"Promise  me,  Ted,  that  you  won't  drink  to-day  what- 
ever happens,  whether  you  win  the  race  or  lose,"  his  sister 
pleaded  anxiously.  "I  know  how  hard  it  is  to  refuse  people 
when  they  only  want  to  be  kind  but  if  you  promise  me, 
it  will  be  ever  so  much  easier.  All  that  bad  crowd  will 
be  there  and  they  will  like  nothing  better  than  to  get  you 
back  amongst  them." 

"Of  course,  Sis,  I  won't  take  anything;  you  needn't  be 
afraid.  I  hate  the  stuff  anyway,"  said  Ted  in  as  matter- 
of-fact  a  tone  as  he  could  muster.     He  was  thinking  that 


204  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

Lorraine  might  have  known  better  than  to  ask  him  before 
the  others,  especially  Alistair. 

"I'll  have  money  up  on  you,  you  know,  Ted,"  Alistair 
said  jokingly,  appreciating  the  lad's  embarrassment  and 
wishing  to  relieve  it ;  "and  I'll  expect  you  to  do  the  very 
best  you  can  for  me.  I  know  Pronto's  a  good  horse  and 
I  know  he's  to  be  backed  by  a  good  jockey." 

"What  about  betting  on  Miss  Pelton's  driving  horse?" 
retorted  Ted  with  a  grin.  "You'd  better  put  your  money 
on  him  instead." 

Miss  Pelton  was  to  drive  Tuto,  the  Thibaults'  fine  road- 
ster in  the  Driving  Horse  Class,  and  had  arranged  to  take 
Alistair  to  the  Fair  with  her.  He  had  been  over  more 
than  once  to  lunch  or  dinner  at  the  Thibaults  and  had  be- 
come quite  intimate  with  them  and  their  boarder. 

"Oh,  that's  hardly  a  sporting  event,  my  boy.  If  Miss 
Pelton  were  entered  for  the  races,  I  certainly  would  have 
a  bet  on  her,  but  she  isn't  you  see.  I  do  hope  she  wins 
though.  I  hear  that  Monte  is  to  enter  the  bending  race. 
What  would  you  advise  as  to  my  taking  a  bet  on  him  ?" 

"I  don't  know ;  it  might  be  all  right,"  said  Ted  uncom- 
fortably ;  but  all  the  light  had  died  out  of  his  face  which 
flushed  red  wTith  embarrassment.  The  mention  of  Monte 
had  brought  up  his  suspicions ;  and  Alistair 's  jocular  attempt 
only  terrified  the  boy  with  the  thought  that  the  other  was 
playing  on  his  fears  before  it  was  his  pleasure  to  let  the 
blow  fall. 

Alistair  on  his  part  was  quite  at  a  loss  to  know  what 
caused  the  sudden  change  and  hastened  to  turn  his  atten- 
tion to  Lorraine.  However,  she  had  noticed  Ted's  em- 
barrassment, too,  and,  although  unconscious,  like  Alistair,  as 
to  the  reason  for  it,  he  found  it  reflected  to  some  extent 
on  her  face  as  well. 

"I  think  that  you  would  stand  a  good  chance  to  bet  on 
Monte,  Mr.  Kilgour,"  said  Miss  Paget  coming  to  the 
rescue;  "for  desperado  or  no,  he  is  the  real  thing  in  the 
cowboy.  I've  seen  him  with  the  lasso;  and  if  he  can 
ride  as  well  as  he  can  rope,  he  will  be  able  to  give  a 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  205 

good  account  of  himself  with  the  men  around  here.    These 
Montana  riders  are  hard  to  beat." 

"It  is  too  bad  that  you  can't  come  along  with  us," 
Alistair  returned;  "but  I  suppose  it  is  impossible  for  you 
to  get  away  on  account  of  Mr.  De  Roche." 

"Yes,  but  I  shall  hear  all  about  it  from  you  when  you 
come  back,"  was  the  reply.  "I  shall  get  all  the  pleasure 
in  that  way  without  any  of  the  dust  and  fatigue  of  which 
there  is  always  a  good  deal." 

For  all  she  spoke  so  cheerfully,  the  good  lady  would 
have  dearly  liked  to  have  been  there. 

The  breakfast  was  soon  over,  for  there  was  no  time  to 
linsrer.  Alistair  went  out  with  Ted  to  see  him  saddle  Pronto 
and  put  the  finishing  touches.  It  was  a  holiday  for  the  men 
and  they  had  already  mostly  all  disappeared  from  the  corral 
and  the  bunkhouse.  Even  little  Paul  Palliser  had  long 
since  finished  his  chores  and  had  vanished. 

Lorraine  was  to  ride  Ted's  horse  while  Ted  was  to  ride 
Pronto.  Olney  was  to  make  his  own  arrangements  as  he 
had  refused  to  allow  himself  to  be  counted  in  on  their 
plans. 

He  was  hitching  up  the  driving  mare,  Winnie,  to  the 
buggy  as  Ted  and  Alistair  came  across  the  corral;  and  he 
looked  up  from  the  strap  he  was  buckling  with  a  smile  that 
was  somewhat  mocking. 

"Still  in  leading  strings,  I  see,  Ted  my  boy,  eh?  See 
that  you  don't  have  a  relapse  before  the  wings  begin  to 
sprout.  They  mostly  do,  but,  I  guess,  you'll  be  the  excep- 
tion." 

"Don't  be  afraid,  Olney;  we  can't  all  be  as  good  as  you," 
Ted  retorted,  flushing  painfully,  however.  "You  aren't 
going  to  ride  to-day?" 

"No,  I'm  not,  and  maybe  it'd  be  better  for  you,  kid, 
if  you  weren't  either.  Take  care  you  don't  come  a  cropper 
with  your  fine  new  friends,  that's  all:  the  old  ones  aren't 
so  stylish,  maybe,  but  they're  likely  to  wear  better." 

"You  think  I'll  come  a  cropper  in  the  race,  do  you?" 
the  boy  asked  quickly  with  white  lips.    Such  a  contingency 


206  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

had  no  fears  for  him;  but  he  dreaded  that  the  words  con- 
tained a  more  sinister  prophecy,  nor  did  Olney's  reply  re- 
assure him. 

"Oh,  I  meant  a  worse  kind  of  cropper  than  that,"  said 
Olney,  smiling  darkly  again  as  he  flicked  the  reins  on  Win- 
nie's back  and  drove  off,  leaving  his  words  to  rankle. 

"Olney  is  sore,"  was  all  Ted  remarked  to  Alistair,  try- 
ing to  carry  the  situation  off  lightly  though  his  heart  was 
heavy.  Monte  had  warned  him  of  the  danger  that  lay  in  his 
intercourse  with  Kilgour,  and  now  here  was  Olney  doing  it, 
too. 

As  for  Alistair  he  was  at  a  loss  what  to  say.  It  was 
plain  enough  that  he  was  the  object  of  Olney's  innuendoes. 

"Yes,  I  suppose  that  it  isn't  to  be  wondered  at  that  he 
doesn't  like  me  very  much,"  he  said  at  last  rather  lamely. 
"Don't  let  him  make  you  ashamed  of  keeping  away  from 
the  toughs  though,  Ted." 

"Not  much,"  said  Ted;  but  his  tone  lacked  heartiness. 
"There's  Miss  Pelton  come  for  you,"  he  added,  glad  of  any- 
thing that  would  terminate  the  interview. 

"Well,  I'll  see  you  later,"  said  Alistair  moving  off. 

"So  long,"  returned  Ted  with  a  wave  of  the  hand. 

Miss  Pelton  had  pulled  up  her  horse  and  buggy  at  the 
front  door  and  Lorraine  had  come  out  and  was  standing 
talking  with  her.  She  went  back  into  the  house,  however, 
on  Alistair's  approach. 

Miss  Pelton  smiled  brightly  at  him. 

"Are  you  all  ready,"  she  said,  pulling  on  one  rein  of 
the  big  bay  so  as  to  crank  the  wheel  and  make  it  easy  for 
Alistair  to  climb  in.  "I  think  I'll  let  you  drive  him  and  keep 
myself  fresh ;  for  he  is  keen  as  mustard  this  morning  and 
wants  to  fly.     My  arms  are  tired  already  holding  him  in." 

She  was  looking  very  charming  and  fresh  and  blushed 
even  rosier  than  she  had  been  before  under  the  intent- 
ness  of  Alistair's  gaze.  Perhaps,  he  suffered  it  to  rest  a 
little  longer  than  common  politeness  would  have  allowed, 
before  taking  his  seat  beside  her  and  the  reins  from  her 
hands. 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  207 

"Lorraine  does  not  look  very  gay  this  morning,"  said  Miss 
Pelton  when  they  had  got  outside  the  gate  and  were  trotting 
slowly  along  the  lakeside.  "What  have  you  been  doing 
to  her?" 

"I,  oh,  nothing  worse  than  usual.  My  presence  is  a 
continual  damper,  no  doubt,  a  sort  of  skeleton  at  the  feast. 
We  are  rather  a  glum  trio,  at  present — the  girl,  Layburn 
and  myself — and  poor  Miss  Paget  has  a  sorry  time  wirh  us 
all,  I  fear.  But  let  us  talk  of  something  cheerful,  yourself, 
for  instance.  What  are  the  chances  of  your  winning  the 
prize  with  Tuto?" 

They  chatted  pleasantly  all  the  way  and  the  time  did 
not  seem  long  before  they  found  themselves  drawing  close 
to  the  Fair  Grounds.  Many  were  the  vehicles  and  rigs 
of  all  kinds  to  be  seen  on  the  road.  Everyone  seemed  ex- 
uberantly happy,  if  dusty,  and  salutations  greeted  Miss  Pel- 
ton  from  all  directions,  while  many  a  sly  glance  was  di- 
rected at  Alistair  and  many  a  side  remark  was  made  as 
to  the  teacher's  beau.  The  girl's  colour  heightened  as  they 
drew  in  at  the  gateway  to  the  Fair  Grounds  and  they  had 
to  run  the  gantlet  of  many  curious  eyes  while  the  horse 
was  pulled  up  and  Alistair  paid  the  entry  money  to  the 
gatekeeper.  He  himself  was  not  unmoved  and  hardly  knew 
whether  he  felt  pleased  or  annoyed  at  the  significance  that 
was  being  placed  on  the  fact  of  their  being  in  company. 


CHAPTER   XXXI 

THOUGH  it  was  still  comparatively  early  and  not  a 
third  of  the  people  had  arrived,  yet  the  scene  was 
already  an  animated  one.  The  grounds  were  almost  ideal 
for  the  purpose  of  a  Fair.  Sheltered  in  the  lee  of  a 
grassy  mound  or  hillock  about  three  hundred  feet  high, 
they  stretched  out  in  a  wide  park-like  plain  that  com- 
manded a  fine  view  of  distant  hill-tops  beyond  the  inter- 
vening stretches  of  pasture  and  grain  fields  dotted  with 
cottonwood  and  bullpines.  Underneath  the  hillock,  a  long 
one-story  wooden  erection  provided  housing  for  the  cattle 
and  another  beyond  it  was  the  dancing  hall  also  used  for  a 
lunch-room.  In  front  of  this  on  the  other  side  of  the 
half-mile  track,  was  the  judges'  stand  where  from  the 
little  booth  below,  a  man  was  giving  out  programmes. 

Among  the  people  scattered  about  the  grounds,  Indians 
were  as  much  in  evidence  as  white  people  for  this  was  their 
great  day.  Both  men  and  women  showed  their  racial  fond- 
ness for  colour  and  went  about  resplendent  in  blues  and 
purples  and  crimsons  and  greens.  In  the  men,  this  was 
largely  confined  to  the  silk  cowboy  handkerchief  about  their 
necks ;  but  with  the  women  it  applied  to  the  whole  costume, 
which  was  often  gaudy  in  the  extreme,  the  bright-hued 
garments  contrasting  oddly  with  the  dull  copper  of  their 
hands  and  faces. 

It  was  now  about  ten  o'clock  and  the  judges  were  al- 
ready on  the  ground.  Apparently  the  draught  horses  were 
being  inspected,  and  there  were  a  number  of  fine-looking 
animals  with  their  manes  and  tails  gaily  decorated  with 
coloured  ribbon  being  led  around  in  a  circle  by  proud  but 
anxious  owners.  The  two  judges  stood  in  the  centre  scru- 
tinising each  of  them  carefully.  Then  in  turn  the  animals 
were  lined  up  and  inspected  again  both  from  front  and  from 

208 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  209 

rear  and  from  the  side,  until  finally  the  decision  was  ar- 
rived at  and  the  blue  and  red  and  yellow  flags  were  handed 
out  to  the  winners.  It  was  on  the  whole  not  a  very  lively 
business  and  there  were  but  few  spectators  taking  any 
interest. 

Lorraine  and  Ted  had  joined  Miss  Pelton  and  Alistair 
and  stood  beside  the  buggy  watching  the  proceedings.  They 
were  both  on  foot  having  stabled  their  horses  in  a  shed 
where  by  special  favour  a  place  had  been  reserved  for 
*hem. 

Lorraine  was  wearing  a  neat  grey  riding  suit  with  a 
skirt  divided  but  which  could  be  fastened  in  front  when 
she  was  not  in  the  saddle.  This  was  its  first  appearance 
and  she  and  Ted  made  a  pleasing  couple  to  look  at. 

The  next  class  was  the  ladies'  saddle  horses  for  which 
there  were  eight  entries  and  this  was  more  interesting. 
Both  the  mounts  and  their  riders  were  of  widely  different 
appearance,  the  former  ranging  from  the  big,  upstanding 
hunter  down  to  the  rough  but  hardy  native  type,  short 
and  stout-legged  but  nimble  and  quick;  the  latter  varied 
just  as  greatly  from  Mrs.  Kendall,  a  dignified  horsewoman 
in  correct  riding  habit  and  stiff  black  hat,  riding  side- 
saddle to  girls  in  their  teens  riding  astride  in  stocksaddles 
with  short  dresses,  their  black-stockinged  legs  pressing 
tightly  into  the  sides  of  their  mounts,  but  thoroughly  well- 
pleased  with  themselves  and  enjoying  the  importance  and 
the  dignity  of  their  position  as  exhibitors. 

First  of  all  they  kept  to  a  walk  and  then  the  judge  com- 
manded "T-r-r-rot,"  with  military  ferocity.  Immediately 
the  whole  circle  started,  many  of  the  smaller  horses  in  their 
excitement  breaking  into  the  more  natural  lope  and  being 
with  difficulty  pulled  out  of  it  again  into  the  more  sober  trot. 
When  the  command  "canter-r-r"  came,  more  than  one 
straw  hat  or  sunbonnet  was  blown  from  the  wearer's  head 
to  the  back  of  her  neck  where  it  hung  ungracefully  held 
by  its  elastic  band;  but  the  riders  did  not  seem  to  mind 
at  all  and  galloped  on  quite  unconcerned,  bent  on  showing 
their  mounts  to  the  best  advantage.     Here,  it  was  clearly  a 


210  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

case  where  not  millinery  but  horseflesh  was  to  count ;  and 
the  keen-visioned  judges  had  no  eyes  for  anything  else.  It 
was  amusing  to  watch  the  different  attitudes  in  the  saddle 
and  the  different  idiosyncrasies  of  pose.  Some  bent  well 
forward  while  others  leaned  back  easily  and  there  was  great 
passing  and  repassing.  One  little  girl,  she  with  the  black- 
stockinged  legs,  was  always  getting  in  the  way  of  the 
other  riders.  Her  mount  was  slower  than  any  on  the 
field  and  there  were  many  black  looks  as  horses  were 
pulled  hastily  up  in  their  stride  and  narrowly  escaped 
collision  on  account  of  her  awkwardness.  Great  was  her 
disappointment  when  finally  the  prizes  were  given,  the  first 
to  Mrs.  Kendall,  the  tall  middle-aged  lady  on  the  big  hunter 
and  the  second  to  a  fiery  little  bay  ridden  by  a  small  woman 
in  a  khaki  suit  of  divided  skirts.  She  saw  that  her  horse 
had  been  completely  passed  by,  had  not  even  been  put  in  the 
centre  to  be  unsaddled  and  inspected  with  the  others.  Then, 
with  downcast  face,  she  came  out  to  join  a  small  group 
looking  on,  evidently  her  father  and  mother  and  little  brother, 
struggling  homesteaders  it  was  easy  to  see  from  their  appear- 
ance, even  in  their  holiday  attire,  which  was  pathetically  plain 
and  poor. 

"Ain't  you  goin'  to  get  a  prize,  Liz  ?"  asked  the  small  boy 
anxiously. 

"I  guess  not,  Ronnie,"  said  the  little  girl  smiling  bravely 
to  hide  her  disappointment.  "Flossie  ain't  stylish  enough  to 
show  against  all  them  fine,  big  horses." 

"I  guess  we'll  have  to  put  her  back  to  the  plough,  Liz," 
said  the  father  with  kindly  pleasantry,  patting  the  plump 
black-stockinged  leg  affectionately,  while  the  mother,  a  slight, 
fragile  woman  with  pleasant  but  tired-looking  face,  stood 
looking  on  saying  nothing  but  with  a  wistful  look  in  her 
eyes. 

"I  know  that  little  girl,"  said  Miss  Pelton,  as  the  group 
moved  off  a  short  distance;  "she  used  to  come  to  the 
school ;  but  the  mother  was  taken  sick  and  they  had  to  take 
her  away,  to  help  at  home.  They  live  back  in  the  hills 
somewhere." 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  211 

"I  never  saw  them  before.  They  can't  have  been  very- 
long  in  the  district.  Go  over  and  speak  to  her,  Amy,  why 
don't  you?  Tell  her  what  a  fine  horse  she  has  and  that 
she  ought  to  have  got  a  prize,"  said  Lorraine,  who  had 
plainly  been  moved  by  the  little  scene.  Alistair,  watching 
her  face  soften  to  pity,  was  struck  with  the  sweetness  of 
its  expression.  "She  would  think  so  much  of  a  word  or 
two  from  you.  Little  girls  nearly  always  adore  their  teacher 
— at  least,  so  often  they  do,  especially  in  the  country  where 
she  is  apt  to  be  a  sort  of  goddess  to  the  little  kiddies  that 
have  never  seen  much." 

Miss  Pelton  looked  at  her  a  trifle  coldly.  She  was  very 
well  satisfied  there  sitting  in  the  buggy  with  Alistair  stand- 
ing by  her  and  she  thought  that  perhaps  Lorraine  was 
trying  to  get  a  chance  herself  for  a  little  tete-a-tete. 

"Oh,  I  think  you  overrate  the  kiddies'  admiration  for 
us,"  she  said.  "Besides  she  was  only  there  for  a  week  or 
two  and  I  don't  know  the  parents  at  all.  I  hardly  think 
it  is  necessary.  There  are  quite  a  number  besides  her  who 
have  been  disappointed.  I  may  be  needing  consolation  my- 
self in  a  little  while,"  and  she  changed  the  subject. 

A  moment  later,  Mrs.  Kendall,  the  lady  who  had  won 
the  first  prize  came  over  with  her  husband  and  a  friend 
to  speak  to  Miss  Pelton  and  Lorraine  and  receive  their 
congratulations.  After  being  introduced  to  them,  Alistair, 
to  whom  had  come  a  sudden  whim  born  of  Miss  De  Roche's 
suggestion,  managed  to  slip  away  and  walked  over  to  one  of 
the  stewards,  a  little  smart-looking  young  Englishman. 

"There's  a  little  girl  over  there,  who  is  very  disappointed 
at  not  getting  a  prize,"  said  Alistair  smiling  apologetically; 
"and  I  wondered  if  you  would  mind  giving  her  this  five- 
dollar  bill  and  telling  her  that  it  is  a  special  prize  awarded 
to  her  horse — you  might  call  it  a  third  prize,  if  you  liked, 
seeing  that  there  were  only  two  given.  Of  course,  don't 
by  any  chance  tell  her  where  it  came  from." 

The  man  took  the  bill  and  smiled  back  at  him. 

"Sure,  I'll  be  delighted  to  do  that.  I  noticed  the  little 
girl ;  but  you  know  that  she  had  no  chance  at  all  with  that 


212  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

poor  little  runt  of  hers.     I'll  make  her  believe  it  is  a  pure 
reward  of  merit.     Trust  me ;"  and  he  hastened  off. 

As  Alistair  hurried  to  rejoin  the  group  around  Miss 
Pelton  he  saw  that  Lorraine  had  left  it  and  gone  over 
herself  to  speak  to  the  little  girl.  She  was  now  patting  her 
pony's  nose  and  making  friends  with  the  parents.  No  one 
save  Miss  Pelton  had  noticed  his  short  absence  and  he 
was  able  to  slip  into  his  place  in  the  group  without  remark. 
In  a  few  minutes  Lorraine  returned  evidently  highly  elated. 

"What  do  you  think,  Amy,"  she  said,  her  eyes  eloquent 
with  pleasure.  "Mr.  Ducie  came  over  as  I  was  talking 
to  the  people  and  said  that  it  had  been  decided  to  award 
the  little  girl's  horse  a  special  prize  of  five  dollars  on  ac- 
count of  its  fine  conformation.  You  should  have  just  seen 
her  face  when  he  said  that.  It  was  a  picture,  so  full  of 
pride;  and  the  old  people  were  just  about  as  pleased. 
I  think  that  it  was  very  good  of  the  judges.  I  suppose  five 
dollars  will  be  almost  a  fortune  for  her  to  spend." 

"Don't  you  think  though  that  it  is  bolstering  up  inferi- 
ority to  give  a  prize  where  it  is  not  deserved?"  asked 
Alistair  quizzically,  afraid  that  by  any  chance  the  act  might 
be  ascribed  to  him.  "It  is  evident  that  the  pony  was  the 
worst-bred  animal  in  the  whole  class !" 

Lorraine  looked  at  him  but  remained  silent;  and  when 
he  saw  the  hurt  expression  in  her  eyes,  he  was  sorry  he 
had  said  it.  Somehow,  although  she  had  often  been  rude 
to  him  and  had  for  the  most  part  treated  him  with  scant 
courtesy,  he  did  not  like  to  have  her  think  that  his  words 
could  possibly  be  serious. 

"She  is  only  a  little  girl  and  if  she  is  made  happy  I'm 
sure  the  giving  her  a  prize  is  not  going  to  affect  the  quality 
of  horseflesh  very  seriously  in  the  next  generation,"  said 
Mrs.  Kendall  severely  looking  at  Alistair  with  a  wither- 
ing smile.  "I  am  sure  I  should  have  been  glad  to  have 
given  her  my  prize." 

"I'll  bet  that  Mr.  Kilgour  was  only  pulling  your  leg," 
said  Ted  feeling  sorry  for  Alistair  in  being  so  sat  upon. 
Mrs.  Kendall  was  a  large  imposing  sort  of  woman  with 


./ 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  213 

dark,  heavy  eyebrows  that  met  in  the  centre.  She  had  an 
air  of  finality  in  what  she  said  that,  as  a  rule,  left  no 
appeal.  They  had  a  very  large  ranch  and  were  people 
of  consequence  in  the  district. 

"Not  at  all,"  returned  Alistair  refusing  to  be  thus  de- 
fended and  taking  up  the  cudgels  with  Mrs.  Kendall. 
"Charity  is  one  thing  and  reward  of  merit  is  another.  It 
might  be  all  right  for  you  to  give  the  little  girl  the  money 
you  got  for  your  prize;  but  for  the  authorities  to  award 
it  and  stamp  it  with  their  certificate  as  it  were,  seems  to 
me  a  piece  of  foolish  sentimentality  and  indicates  poor 
judgment  on  their  part.  However,  there  was  certainly  no 
doubt  about  the  merit  in  the  case  of  your  horse,  Mrs. 
Kendall,"  he  said,  breaking  away  from  a  continuance  of  the 
controversy.  "He  is  a  very  fine  animal,  indeed,  and  you 
must  be  proud  of  him." 

The  conversation  passed  again  into  commonplaces,  but 
Alistair  surprised  Lorraine  looking  at  him  curiously.  He 
wondered  as  to  what  she  was  thinking.  Had  he  known 
it  the  girl  was  trying  to  determine  in  her  own  mind  whether 
he  had  been  speaking  in  jest  or  in  earnest.  In  spite  of  her 
dislike  of  him,  in  spite  of  the  masterfulness  of  his  manner 
towards  her  and  their  frequent  passages  at  arms,  she  ac- 
knowledged to  herself  that  at  times  she  felt  a  something  in 
him  that  attracted  her  in  spite  of  herself.  The  sensation 
had  a  mingling  in  it  of  piquancy  as  well  as  of  uneasiness. 

It  was  soon  time  for  Miss  Pelton  to  take  her  place  in 
competition  for  the  "Lady's  Single  Driver."  Tuto  arched 
his  neck  proudly  as  he  was  driven  into  the  ring  and  the 
Inshallah  party  were  delighted  when  Miss  Pelton  was  given 
the  blue  ribbon. 

By  this  time,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thibault  had  come  over 
from  the  pavilion  where  they  had  gone  first  to  deposit  the 
eatables  which  the  latter  had  contributed  as  her  quota 
to  the  refreshment  committee.  They  were  just  in  time 
to  receive,  along  with  Miss  Pelton,  the  general  congratu- 
lations on  Tuto's  winning  the  prize.  Mr.  Trelawny  had  also 
put   in   an   appearance  as   the   Thibaults   had   invited   him 


214  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

to  join  them  at  their  picnic  lunch.  The  whole  party,  with 
Miss  Pelton  and  Alistair  leading  in  the  buggy,  now  made 
their  way  over  past  the  pavilion  and  the  ice-cream  and 
lemonade  booths  around  which  there  were  great  crowds 
of  Indians  and  children,  to  the  lee  of  the  hill.  Here  among 
some  small  brush  there  were  good  places  to  tie  the  horses 
and  to  light  a  fire  and  boil  water  for  the  tea.  There  were 
several  other  parties  scattered  about  that  had  already  begun 
their  cooking  operations ;  but  there  was  still  room  enough 
for  comfort. 

Ted  helped  Alistair  to  unhitch  Tuto  while  Mr.  Tre- 
lawny  busied  himself  with  the  girls  and  Mrs.  Thibault  in 
lighting  a  fire  and  unpacking  the  luncheon  from  the  demo- 
crat. There  was  soon  a  fine  spread  of  good  things  laid 
out  and  when  the  tea  had  been  made  they  all  sat  down 
on  the  grass  or  on  convenient  stumps.  Mrs.  Thibault 
had  invited  the  Applebys,  who  had  unhitched  their  wagon 
near  by,  to  join  them;  and  there  was  Mrs.  Appleby,  re- 
splendent in  a  purple  bonnet,  looking  rather  hot  and  tired 
but  her  face  beaming  with  happiness.  Sam  and  Eliza  were 
there  too  with  faces  dirty  and  sticky  on  account  of  some 
popcorn  candy  which  they  had  been  eating,  and  Herb,  looking 
bashful  in  the  presence  of  so  many  grown-ups. 

The  people  were  now  beginning  to  come  in  crowds  for 
it  was  the  races  in  the  afternoon  that  attracted  the  towns- 
folk ;  and  the  road  coming  in  from  Kamloops  was  now 
dotted  with  autos. 

"It's  going  to  be  a  splendid  day  and  the  biggest  crowd 
I've  ever  seen  here,"  said  Mr.  Trelawny.  "You'll  have 
quite  a  triumph,  Ted,  you  and  Lorraine,  if  you  win  the 
one-mile." 

"I  doubt  there  isn't  much  chance,"  said  Ted;  "but  we'll 
do  our  best,  Pronto  and  I.  Lorraine  will  get  twenty  plunks, 
won't  she  ?  She  ought  to  give  me  a  new  hat  on  the  strength 
of  it  out  of  the  prize  money,  don't  you  think  so?" 

"You  win  the  race  and  then  it'll  be  time  enough  to  figure 
out  what  Lorraine  ought  to  give  you,"  said  that  young  lady. 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  215 

"Carry  my  colours  to  victory  first.    One  would  think  that 
it  was  the  spoils  rather  than  the  glory  you  were  after." 

"Oh,  no,  it's  the  glory  that  Ted's  after,"  said  Mrs.  Thi- 
bault  as  she  busied  herself  in  cutting  up  a  large  lemon 
pie;  "but,  no  doubt,  he  thinks  that  he  would  like  to  get 
some  of  the  spoils,  too,  and  I  don't  blame  him." 

"Where  is  your  cousin,  Olney,  to-day,  Lorraine?"  Mrs. 
Thibault  asked.  "I  haven't  seen  him  around  at  all.  He  used 
to  be  so  jolly  on  occasions  like  this  that  I  quite  miss  him." 

"I  don't  know  where  he  is  but  I  think  that  he  is  here 
somewhere,"  said  Lorraine,  slightly  embarrassed  at  the  ques- 
tion. "He  came  by  himself  in  the  buggy  and  I  suppose 
that  he  must  be  taking  lunch  inside  with  some  of  his 
friends." 

"I  see  he's  one  of  the  judges  of  the  racing,"  said  Mr. 
Trelawny.  "It's  one-thirty  now,  and  I  notice  that  they  are 
lining  up  for  the  parade  of  horses.  It  is  pretty  near  time 
we  were  clearing  away  and  getting  ready;  for  I  don't 
want  to  miss  any  of  it.  Will  you  take  me,  two  to  one 
against  Pronto,  Miss  Lorraine?" 

"You  surely  wouldn't  expect  me  to  bet  against  my  own 
horse,  would  you?" 

"Well,  it  might  help  you  to  bear  up,  if  Pronto  is  de- 
feated, you  know.  It  would  be  a  sort  of  consolation  prize; 
and  if  you  won  you  would  never  grudge  paying  your  bet 
to  me." 

"Ladies  don't  pay  their  bets  anyway,  as  a  rule,"  said  Miss 
Pelton;  "so  it  would  be  a  pretty  safe  thing,  Lorraine. 
You're  losing  a  golden  opportunity.  He'd  never  take  it 
from  you  if  he  won  and  if  you  won  he  would  pay  you." 

"Oh,  but  I  would  pay  sure  enough  if  I  lost.  I  don't  believe 
in  betting  at  all  if  you  can't  take  your  medicine  if  you 
lose.  I'm  afraid  that  we  shall  have  to  go  to  the  pavilion 
now,  Amy  and  I,  for  we  promised  to  help  with  the  dish- 
washing for  an  hour  or  so.  The  Ladies'  Auxiliary  have 
the  catering  affair  in  hand  to  raise  some  money  to  try  to  pay 
off  a  part  of  the  Fair  Association  debt  and  we  have  to  do 
our  little  share,  haven't  we,  Amy?" 


216  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

"I  suppose  we  must  then,"  said  Miss  Pelton  but  with 
evident  reluctance.  "Imagine  what  it  must  be  like  in  that 
stuffy  place  washing  dishes  on  a  day  like  this.  We'll  have 
your  sympathy  at  least,  Mr.  Kilgour,  won't  we?" 

"Indeed  you  will,"  was  the  ready  reply. 

"You  might  be  around  about  half-past  two  and  let  us 
go  up  on  the  hill  behind  where  we  can  see  the  whole  field 
stretched  out  below  us,"  she  said  to  Alistair.  "Will  you 
come  up  too,  Lorraine?" 

"No  indeed,"  said  Lorraine  quickly;  "at  least  not  until 
Ted's  race  is  over;  for  I  want  to  be  as  close  as  I  can 
and  see  how  he  gets  off  and  how  they  finish.  There  is  so 
much  in  a  good  start,  Ted,  isn't  there?  And  sometimes 
some  of  them  are  not  very  fair  about  it." 

It  was  not  so  much  to  watch  the  interests  of  her  pony 
that  Lorraine  was  anxious  about  if  the  truth  were  told  but 
to  keep  an  eye  on  Ted  himself.  Olney  Layburn's  half- 
veiled  threat  was  never  out  of  her  mind,  and  she  would 
gladly  have  taken  her  horse  out  of  the  race  if  she  could 
have  got  her  brother  away  out  of  the  danger  of  a  return  to 
his  old  habits. 

She  was  thankful  when  the  meal  was  over  and  she  could 
escape  with  Miss  Pelton  in  the  direction  of  the  pavilion 
to  assist  in  the  dish-washing  bee  that  had  already  started 
inside. 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

IT  is  delightful  up  here,"  said  Alistair;  "the  whole  Fair 
spread  out  at  one's  feet.  It  is  an  ideal  place  from  which 
to  view  the  races  away  from  all  the  dust  and  the  crowd 
and  the  unpleasantness." 

The  hour  of  dish  washing  promised  by  Miss  Pelton  to 
the  Ladies'  Auxiliary  having  been  duly  performed,  she  and 
Alistair  had  climbed  up  the  steep  bluff  at  the  back  of  the 
pavilion  almost  to  the  top  and  had  seated  themselves  on  a 
convenient  rock  whence  they  could  view  to  advantage  the 
whole  Fair  Grounds  below  as  well  as  the  magnificent  vista 
beyond  them. 

"Yes,"  replied  Miss  Pelton  enthusiastically.  "Distant 
enough  to  lend  the  enchantment  and  near  enough  for  one 
to  see  all  one  wants  to  see." 

"Can  you  pick  out  any  of  your  friends  amongst  the 
crowd  ?" 

"Yes,  a  great  many  of  them,  though  one  has  to  peer 
somewhat  closely  to  distinguish  them.  I  imagine  that  it  is 
easier  for  them  down  there  to  recognise  us  here  than  for 
us,  them.  Perhaps  it  would  have  been  better  had  we  chosen 
a  less  conspicuous  place.  We  might  have  gone  a  little  higher 
up  so  as  to  be  over  the  brow  and  they  wouldn't  see  us 
then." 

"Does  it  matter?" 

"It  may  not  for  you,  but  the  school  teacher  is  a  public 
character  and  is  always  under  surveillance.  A  girl  has  to 
be  so  careful.  You  see,  Mr.  Jenks'  evidence  at  the  court  the 
other  day  made  a  lot  of  silly  talk." 

Miss  Pelton  stopped  suddenly  as  if  she  had  repented 
what  she  had  said  and  began  tracing  patterns  with  the 
point  of  her  parasol  on  the  grass  in  front  of  her  while  her 
cheeks  glowed  with  the  clear  pink  to  which  they  were 

217 


218  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

susceptible.  So  Alistair  glancing  sideways  had  a  revela- 
tion that  she  was  deeply  moved  apart  from  her  tone  and 
the  words  themselves.  He  felt  somewhat  of  a  thrill  him- 
self and  it  was  a  new  experience  to  him.  He  had  never 
been  on  such  confidential  terms  with  a  girl  before  and  the 
situation  held  an  element  of  piquancy  as  well  as  a  soup^on 
of  panic.  The  meaning  of  the  disclosure  that  had  slipped 
from  her  flashed  through  his  mind  in  a  moment  and  filled 
it  with  astonishment.  He  had  never  dreamed  that  the 
evidence  that  Jenks  had  given  before  the  justices  would 
have  been  connected  up  with  Miss  Pelton  or  could  have  been 
used  to  cause  her  any  annoyance. 

"Surely  there  was  nothing  in  that  which  would  cause 
people  to  talk,  and  anyway  why  should  they  connect  you  with 
it  ?"  he  hastened  to  ask. 

"Oh,  well,  they  found  out  that  I  was  the  girl  and  they 
have  made  up  all  sorts  of  stories  about  it — the  women- 
folk, that  is,  for  some  of  them  don't  like  me.  But  it 
doesn't  signify  at  all  and  I  didn't  mean  to  mention  it — I'm 
sorry.  It  doesn't  matter  anyway.  Why  should  I  mind  what 
they  say  so  long  as  it  isn't  true.  This  will  be  my  last  term 
here  for  Father  says  I  must  stop  teaching  and  go  'back  to 
my  proper  sphere'  .as  he  says.  He  never  was  in  favour  of 
me  doing  any  actual  teaching,  anyway,  although  he  thought 
that  it  was  a  good  thing  to  take  out  my  certificate.  The 
trustees  want  me  to  stay  so  that  it  isn't  that  I  haven't 
made  good." 

"I  am  very  sorry,"  said  Alistair ;  "I  seem  to  make  trouble 
with  everyone?  I'll  be  extremely  careful  the  next  time  I 
have  occasion  to  stay  in  a  hotel.  As  you  say,  though,  there 
is  no  use  minding  the  silly  gossip  that  goes  around  and  a 
day  like  this  is  too  perfect  to  spoil  by  talking  about  it." 

"They  are  getting  ready  for  Ted's  race  at  last,"  Miss 
Pelton  burst  out  excitedly,  "and  there's  Ted  on  Pronto 
riding  across  from  near  the  pens  there.  I  do  hope  the 
boy  wins,  both  for  his  own  sake  and  Lorraine's.  She  is 
just  wrapped  up  in  that  horse  and  I  don't  wonder  at  it.  I 
suppose  that  she  could  get  big  money  for  him." 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  219 

"Yes,  he's  a  fine  animal  and  he  is  fast.  One  would 
hardly  realise  it  until  one  has  seen  him  going.  Ted  rides 
well,  too,  although  I  suppose  he  has  not  had  much  experi- 
ence as  a  jockey  and  that  counts  in  a  race  like  this." 

The  riders  had  all  now  gathered  in  front  of  the  judges' 
stand  and  there  was  a  great  deal  of  wheeling  and  turn- 
ing amongst  them  as  the  excited  animals  were  jockeyed 
about,  throwing  up  clouds  of  dust  that  mounted  into  the 
stand  and  covered  the  populace  around.  There  were  ten 
entries,  six  of  them  horses  owned  and  ridden  by  Indians. 
Kendall  had  put  in  a  beautiful  thoroughbred  roan  called 
"Strawberry"  from  its  colour;  and  his  foreman,  a  little  man 
named  Wilkes,  who  had  ridden  on  the  turf  in  the  old  coun- 
try and  was  a  crack  jockey,  was  riding  it  for  him.  In 
racing  experience  there  was  no  doubt  that  he  was  ahead 
of  all  the  other  riders,  Indians  and  white  men.  Strawberry 
and  a  bay  horse  called  Bellman  owned  and  ridden  by  a 
half-breed  Pete  Smaill,  were  the  chief  favourites,  Pete 
was  in  a  kind  of  partnership  with  Layburn  in  a  quarter- 
section  of  land  at  Blake's  Meadows,  a  fine  piece  of  open 
range  about  seven  miles  away.  Pete  stayed  on  the  place 
and  Layburn  was  a  kind  of  sleeping  partner  although 
he  went  over  there  once  a  week  or  so.  The  two  men  had 
now  a  good  bunch  of  cattle.  They  had  begun  with  only 
a  few  beasts;  but  since  they  had  started  in  soon  after 
Layburn's  arrival  in  the  district  they  had  never  sold  any 
and  their  stock  had  increased  rapidly. 

Pete  had  a  passion  for  racing  and  this  horse  was  as 
the  apple  of  his  eye.  He  had  been  bragging  all  day  about 
how  he  was  going  to  win.  The  horse  was  certainly  a 
beautiful  animal  and  his  coat  shone  like  a  piece  of  polished 
red  granite. 

The  Indians  nearly  all  backed  Bellman;  and  with  the 
whites,  although  most  favoured  Strawberry  there  was  a  con- 
siderable following  that  backed  Pronto.  His  conformation 
however,  was  considered  by  those  who  were  thought  the 
most  knowing  to  be  rather  too  stocky  for  a  race-horse.  Not 
many  had  seen  him  running,  however,  and  those  who  had 


220  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

had  been  surprised  at  the  way  he  stretched  himself  out 
when  on  the  go.  There  was  no  suggestion  of  stockiness 
then,  they  declared. 

Pronto  was  behaving  well  although  the  temptation  to  cut 
up  amongst  this  seething  crowd  of  straining,  pawing  horses 
was  considerable.  However,  he  seemed  to  know  the  im- 
portance of  the  occasion  and  the  necessity  to  save  his 
strength  for  the  struggle  before  him.  Ted  sat  on  his  back, 
slim  and  elegant  in  his  natty  costume  and  the  two  made  a 
pleasing  picture,  the  smooth-cheeked  lad  with  his  fresh 
complexion  contrasting  strangely  with  his  swarthy  Indian 
competitors,  heavy  and  stolid  of  feature.  He  was  nervous, 
for  it  was  his  first  race,  but,  at  least,  he  was  resolved  to 
do  his  best. 

Wilkes  beside  him  seemed  cool  and  composed  and  his 
mount  too,  under  his  steady  hand  seemed  to  have  no  en- 
ergy to  waste  on  fruitless  jibbing  and  straining.  Straw- 
berry was  a  good-dispositioned  horse  while  Bellman  was 
moody  and  had  an  uncertain  temper  which  made  his  run- 
ning less  reliable.  The  latter  to-day,  however,  seemed  to 
be  well  in  control. 

Twice  the  gun  fired  and  the  horses  were  off  to  a  false 
start  and  had  to  be  recalled,  but  the  third  time  they  got 
away  well  in  a  fairly  compact  bunch.  Gradually  these, 
however,  spread  out  into  a  line  that  grew  steadily  longer 
as  the  better  horses  pulled  away  in  front  and  the  intervals 
between  the  animals  became  greater.  Pronto  with  his  blue 
and  silver  rider  had  kept  third  place  almost  from  the 
start.  Strawberry  was  in  the  lead  and  Bellman  close  be- 
hind him.  Wilkes  was  riding  in  red  and  white  and  the 
half-breed's  colours  were  yellow  and  green.  The  two  men 
thought  now  that  they  had  the  race  between  themselves, 
for  Ted  was  fully  ten  lengths  behind,  and  already  they 
had  covered  the  second  furlong.  Both  horses  were  doing 
their  best  and  they  had  not,  since  soon  after  the  start, 
changed  their  relative  distances  much. 

When  they  came  to  the  far  side  of  the  circle,  the  furlong 
post,  Bellman  was  still  about  two  lengths  behind  Straw- 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  221 

berry  and  Ted  on  Pronto  was  still  about  ten  lengths  be- 
hind Bellman,  Ted  was  beginning  to  feel  that  as  far  as  he 
was  concerned  the  race  would  be  lost.  Pronto  was  going 
well  and  steadily  but  he  did  not  gain  at  all ;  and  he  seemed 
to  be  doing  his  best.  Ted  felt  sorry  for  Lorraine  but  it 
could  not  be  helped.  At  the  same  time  it  was  gloriously 
exciting  with  the  air  rushing  past  furiously. 

Near  the  judges  stand,  Lorraine,  standing  on  a  chair  that 
had  been  lent  her,  followed  the  race  with  anxious  eyes  and 
saw  with  disappointment  that  Pronto  was  not  making  up  on 
the  others.  Still  she  did  not  despair  and  she  felt  that  the 
last  part  of  his  race  might  be  the  best  part  for  he  had  great 
wind  and  staying  power. 

The  crowd  around  her  was  electric  with  excitement  and 
many  were  the  shouts  of  encouragement  and  exclamations 
causing  a  veritable  babel  of  voices  that  increased  as  the 
race  drew  on.  They  were  nearing  the  six  furlong  post 
now  and  suddenly  Pronto*  had  caught  up  within  four 
lengths  of  Bellman  and  Strawberry,  which  were  now  neck 
and  neck.  Pete  Smaill's  heart  jumped  when  he  saw  the 
roan  alongside  of  him  and  his  eyes  caught  for  a  flash 
those  of  Wilkes  and  sensed  their  triumph.  Pete's  Indian 
blood  boiled  and  a  rage,  intensified  perhaps  by  the  thought 
of  the  ancient  enmities  of  his  Indian  forefathers  and  their 
wrongs,  made  him  forget  his  customary  prudence  in  the  mad 
resolve  that  this  man  should  not  beat  him.  He  forgot  the 
fierce  temper  of  his  horse  and  its  tendency  to  sulk  at 
punishment.  He  raised  his  whip  and  brought  it  down  with 
a  vicious  lash.  Wilkes  watching  him  brought  his  down 
simultaneously  on  Strawberry  for  he  would  not  run  the 
chance  of  dropping  behind  again.  Strawberry  needed 
plenty  of  the  whip  at  the  finish  to  get  the  best  out  of  him, 
his  rider  knew  and  he  did  not  spare  it.  Both  horses  an- 
swered bravely  to  the  stimulus,  Bellman  swerving  a  little 
in  resentment  but  though  sulky  still  going  well. 

Ted  behind  had  seen  the  uplifted  arms  and  followed 
suit  with  Pronto  with  a  light  cut  that  would  serve,  he  knew, 
to  make  the  horse  do  his  best.     It  was  now  or  never. 


222  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

They  were  past  the  six  furlong  post  and  on  the  home 
stretch.  Around  the  stand  the  crowd  had  gone  crazy  and 
were  yelling  with  open  mouths  and  waving  their  hats, 
Indians  and  white  men  cheering  and  calling  to  their  cham- 
pions. Away  behind  in  the  race  six  of  the  "also  rans" 
were  still  coming  on,  but  the  others  had  ridden  off  the 
track  seeming  anxious  to  hide  themselves  and  their  tardy 
steeds  from  further  notice. 

The  pace  was  furious  and  Ted  was  gaining.     The  cut 
of  the  whip  seemed  to  have  called  out  tremendous  reserves 
of   energy   in   Pronto.     He   was   on   the   outside   and   be 
gradually  crept  up  to  within  three  lengths,  then  two  lengths 
of  the  others  who  were  galloping  so  close  that  there  was 
not  twelve  inches  space  between  stirrup  and  stirrup  of  their 
jockeys.     Strawberry's  nose  was  on  a  level  with  Bellman's 
shoulder.      Pete  was   still   lashing  the   latter   cruelly   and 
perhaps  his  policy  of  punishment  had  been  the  right  one  to 
follow  for  the  horse  was  going  nobly.     Suddenly  it  found 
that  Pronto  had  come  up  beside  it  and  was  running  neck 
and  neck  just  as  the  judges'  stand  was  only  a  few  score  feet 
away.     Furious  with  pain  and  mad  with  temper  this  new 
annoyance  was  too  much  for  it  to  bear,  and,  wild  to  vent 
on  something  the  fury  it  had  been  nursing,  it  bit  out  at 
Pronto's  neck  savagely.     The  only  result  was  to  increase  the 
speed  of  the  latter  for  this  was  too  great  for  Bellman  to 
get  a  hold  or  do  much  damage.    The  effort,  however,  proved 
Bellman's  undoing  for  the  lurch  he  made  and  the  impact 
of  his  mouth  on  Pronto's  neck  was  enough  to  destroy  his 
balance  and  interfere  in  his  stride,  and  with  one  or  two 
frantic  attempts   to   recover  himself   he    fell  with   a   tre- 
mendous crash  right  in  front  of  the  judge's  stand.    Then  he 
only  came  in  third  for  Pronto  had  swept  on  ahead  and 
crossed   the   line   with   Strawberry   a   neck   and   shoulder 
behind  him.    Pete  was  thrown  like  a  stone  from  a  catapult 
straight  ahead,  missing  Pronto's  heels,  as  it  seemed,  by  a 
miracle.     He  lay  crumpled  up  in  a  sorry  heap  right  in  the 
centre  of  the  track  and  was  nearly  trampled  by  one  or  two 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  223 

of  the  other  horses   as  they   swept  past  opening  out  to 
right  and  left  to  avoid  his  prostrate  figure. 

The  yells  and  cheers  from  the  crowd  had  hushed  in  a 
moment  to  a  great  gasp  of  dismay  and  there  was  a  rush, 
as  is  the  way  with  crowds,  to  get  close  to  the  injured  man 
who  lay  still  where  he  had  fallen.  A  doctor  was  at  hand 
in  a  moment  and  a  light  motor  delivery  wagon  was  pressed 
into  sendee  to  bear  Pete  away.  Strangely  enough  the  in- 
jured man's  horse  had  picked  himself  up  practically  un- 
hurt and  was  already  being  rubbed  down  by  two  solicitous 
attendants. 

It  was  a  sad  ending  to  a  splendidly  contested  race  and 
Lorraine,  with  the  rest,  had  been  horror  struck  at  the 
accident.  Much  of  the  pleasure  of  having  Pronto  win  was 
destroyed  for  her. 

Meanwhile  Miss  Pelton  and  Alistair  had  been  watching 
with  bated  breath  from  their  elevated  station  whence  with 
admirable  clearness  they  were  able  to  see  the  whole  affair. 
Their  disappointment  in  the  beginning  to  see  Pronto  keep- 
ing only  third  place,  changed  to  keen  excitement  when 
they  saw  him  after  the  half  of  the  course  had  been  run, 
creeping  up  closer  on  the  two  ahead. 

"Good  boy,  Ted,"  cried  Alistair  at  the  finish  when  he 
saw  that  Pronto  was  abreast  of  the  others.  A  moment 
later  he  had  seen  the  accident  and  he  stopped  suddenly  in 
his  cheering. 

"What  a  pity !"  he  said  to  his  companion  who,  like  him- 
self, was  shocked  at  the  sight  and  together  they  hurried 
down  the  slope.  Miss  Pelton  fain  would  have  remained 
to  continue  the  conversation  which  had  just  been  promis- 
ing to  become  interesting  when  this  tiresome  race  had  come 
in  to  interrupt  it.  Probably  now  she  would  not  have  another 
chance  for  a  tete-a-tete  until  the  drive  home  after  the 
dance,  to  which  she  was  looking  forward. 

They  thrust  and  jostled  their  way  through  the  crowd 
to  where  Ted  and  Pronto  were  together  beyond  the  judges' 
stand,  surrounded  by  a  knot  of  friends  and  admirers;  for 


224  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

many  were  there,  who  wanted  to  get  a  closer  look  at  the 
horse  that  had  won  the  race. 

Pronto,  with  a  blanket  thrown  over  his  loins,  submitted 
with  indifference  to  the  caresses  offered  him.  The  red,  still 
showing  in  his  nostrils,  and  his  panting  sides,  bore  witness 
to  the  strenuous  race  he  had  run.  On  his  neck  there  was  a 
slight  abrasion  where  Bellman's  teeth  had  left  their  mark. 

Ted  and  Lorraine  were  standing  by  his  head.  The  boy's 
eyes  sparkled  with  elation  as  one  or  another  would  pat  him 
on  the  back  or  speak  a  word  or  two  of  hearty  congratula- 
tions. Lorraine  looked  proud  also,  proud  both  of  her  brother 
and  her  horse.  Boy  and  girl  made  rather  a  striking  pic- 
ture as  they  stood  together  with  their  similarity  of  feature, 
both  faces  flushed  in  their  excitement,  the  clear  complexion 
which  was  a  family  feature,  in  Ted's  case  shining  out 
even  under  the  coating  of  the  dust  of  the  race  which  he 
had  not  had  a  chance  to  wash  away.  Pronto  was  slyly 
nuzzling  Lorraine's  little  gloved  hand  for  another  lump  of 
sugar. 

Lorraine,  forgetting  for  the  moment  the  cloud  that  had 
been  thrown  over  her  horse's  victory,  was  enjoying  her 
little  triumph  to  the  full.  To  Alistair,  whose  congratula- 
tions she  acknowledged  with  a  graciousness  unusual  towards 
him,  she  showed  herself  in  a  more  attractive  light  than 
ever  before  and  he  was  struck  by  the  poise  and  quiet- 
ness of  her  manner  to  the  people  of  all  grades  that  spoke 
to  her.  Standing  in  the  background,  he  was  able  to  note 
how  her  greetings  were  just  as  friendly  and  genuine  in 
the  case  of  humble  ranch  hands  she  knew  as  with  such 
people  as  the  Kendalls  who  were  among  the  social  leaders 
of  the  community.  Whatever  were  the  girl's  faults  of  temper 
or  caprice,  there  was  surely  no  snobbery  in  her  disposition. 

Mr.  Kendall,  who  was  judging  along  with  Olney,  had 
come  over  himself  for  a  minute  or  two,  and  had  brought 
with  him  two  strangers.  One  was  Mr.  Stubbs,  a  stockdealer 
from  Calgary  who  had  been  in  the  vicinity  for  a  week  buy- 
ing horses  to  take  home  with  him.  He  had  already  bought 
all  he  required  and  had  two  cars  of  horses  ready  to  go  on 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  225 

the  night  freight  train  but  had  been  glad  of  the  chance  to 
attend  the  Fair.  The  other  was  a  Mr.  Lancaster  from 
Edmonton  who  had  come  to  buy  store  cattle  to  stock  a 
ranch  he  had  purchased.  With  them  was  a  Mr.  Du  Bois 
who  was  the  brand  inspector  from  Kamloops.  He  had 
ridden  up  with  the  dealer  after  inspecting  the  brands  of 
the  horses  that  the  latter  was  shipping  out. 

It  was  most  flattering  to  Ted  to  find  himself  referred 
to  by  these  big  men  who  asked  him  many  questions  about 
Pronto  and  commended  highly  the  way  he  had  ridden  him, 
telling  him  that  he  was  a  born  jockey.  It  was  plain  that 
Stubbs  was  much  impressed  by  the  horse  and  in  a  jocular 
way  he  asked  what  he  could  be  purchased  for ;  but  Ted  had 
evaded  the  question.  Lorraine  had  been  called  away  to  be 
introduced  to  some  friends  of  Mr.  Kendall's  who  were 
sitting  in  their  automobile  nearby,  so  she  did  not  hear  the 
conversation.  Such  a  thing  as  Lorraine  selling  Pronto  was 
not  to  be  thought  of  and  Ted  was  too  well  aware  of  her 
feelings  to  suggest  it  to  her.  However,  he  did  not  say  it  was 
his  sister's  horse  and  the  two  hovered  around  the  subject 
Ted  willing  enough  to  know  what  the  dealer  would  offer 
for  him  and  the  other  sparring  with  him  in  the  way  that 
dealers  have  all  the  world  over. 

So  when  Stubbs  suggested  that  the  best  of  the  races  was 
over  and  that  Ted  might  ride  quietly  down  with  him  and 
Du  Bois  to  Garston,  the  boy  flattered  by  the  invitation,  at 
once  accepted.  He  knew  that  his  sister  would  not  want  him 
to  go  but  she  was  not  there  to  object. 

Alistair,  however,  stopped  him  a  moment  to  ask  where 
he  was  off  to. 

"I'm  just  going  down  to  Garston  with  these  chaps  for 
an  hour  or  so,"  said  Ted.  "Tell  Lorraine  I'll  be  back  in 
plenty  of  time  for  the  dance.  She's  going  over  to  Kendall's 
but  I  don't  want  to  go  there.  The  races  are  pretty  well 
through  now  and  I'm  tired  of  staying  around  here." 

He  was  off  without  allowing  Alistair  a  chance  for  ex- 
postulation. 

When  Lorraine  returned  after  her  short  absence,  to  her 


226  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

consternation  both  horse  and  boy  had  disappeared.  She 
turned  to  Alistair  and  Miss  Pelton  in  dismay  for  an  explana- 
tion; and  although  she  tried  to  hide  her  feelings,  it  was 
plain  that  she  was  distressed. 

"He  might  have  told  me  first,"  was  all  she  said;  but 
she  looked  reproachfully  at  Alistair,  evidently  thinking 
that  he  might  have  stopped  Ted  or  given  her  some  warning 
that  he  was  going  away. 

Herb  had  been  standing  in  the  background  keeping  an 
eye  on  his  friends  although  too  bashful  to  stay  very  close 
to  them  and  Alistair  strolled  quietly  over  to  him. 

"I  want  you  to  do  something  for  me,  Herb,"  he  said. 
"Ted  has  gone  down  to  Garston  with  those  two  men  that 
were  here.  I  hope  that  the  boy  will  be  all  right  but  one 
never  knows  when  there's  whisky  around  and  bad  com- 
panions. Now  I  can't  very  well  run  after  him  but  there 
is  no  reason,  Herb,  why  I  shouldn't  send  you  down  for 
twenty-five  cents'  worth  of  shoe  laces — I'm  giving  you  a 
dollar  and  you  can  buy  yourself  some  candy  after  getting 
them.  The  rest  of  the  dollar  will  give  you  entrance  to  the 
hotel  where  you  can  go  and  get  some  soda  water;  spend 
it  all  on  soda  water  if  you  like  so  long  as  it's  necessary  to 
keep  drinking  it  in  order  to  give  you  an  excuse  to  hang 
around.  If  Master  Ted  gets  to  drinking,  I  want  you  to  let 
me  know  and  I'll  come  down  and  fetch  him  myself.  I 
don't  want  to  go  unless  I  have  to;  but  I  can't  have  that 
boy  started  on  the  road  to  ruin  again.  You'll  find  me  either 
at  the  Kendalls' — they've  asked  us  there  to  tea  till  it's  time 
for  the  dance — or  at  the  dance.  You  have  my  horse  with 
you,  haven't  you?  and  you  can  ride  him." 

"Sure,"  said  Herb  nodding,  delighted  with  his  mission  and 
he  scampered  off  after  secreting  the  money  carefully  in  his 
handerchief  and  stuffing  it  into  his  trousers  pocket. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 

THE   Kendalls  had  invited  the  Inshallah  party,  Miss 
Pelton  and  Mr.  Lancaster  to  their  place  nearby  for 
dinner  after  the  races. 

They  went  there  in  the  Kendalls'  seven-passenger  Cadillac 
and  the  dinner  passed  off  very  pleasantly,  the  host  and 
hostess  setting  everyone  at  their  ease.  After  dinner  they 
sat  out  for  a  while  on  the  wide  verandah  in  front  of  the 
house  and  then  drove  down  again  in  the  motor  to  the  hall,  in 
the  delightful  cool  of  the  evening. 

The  Fair  Grounds  were  almost  deserted  for  the  crowd  had 
nearly  all  gone  home  so  that  except  around  the  hall  itself 
the  place  looked  quiet  and  peaceful.  However,  there  was 
plenty  of  bustle  of  motors  and  buggies  and  wagons,  vehicles 
of  every  description  arriving. 

Inside,  the  place  had  been  made  to  look  quite  different 
from  the  appearance  that  it  had  presented  during  the  day 
when  it  had  been  full  of  long  tables  and  forms  on  which 
sat  those  who  had  depended  on  the  Ladies'  Auxiliary  to  allay 
their  appetites.  An  orchestra  of  two  fiddles  and  a  piano 
was  already  tuning  up  at  one  end ;  and  the  floor  had  been 
plentifully  waxed  and  was  smooth  and  slippery.  A  number 
of  couples  were  already  up  waiting  for  the  music  to  start 
and  in  a  moment  they  were  all  whirling  around  the  room 
to  the  strains  of  a  waltz. 

Alistair  had  engaged  Miss  Pelton  for  the  first  dance  and 
as  soon  as  she  emerged  from  the  space  that  had  been  par- 
titioned off  for  a  dressing-room  at  one  end  of  the  place, 
they  started  off.  He  was  not  anxious  to  dance  at  all  but 
felt  that  the  girl  would  expect  it.  However,  once  they  had 
started  his  indifference  passed  away.     His  partner  was  a 

227 


228  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

good  dancer  and  his  first  nervousness  as  to  his  own  per- 
formance soon  vanished  when  he  found  that  they  kept 
excellent  step  and  time  together. 

The  first  dance  was  the  best  for  after  that  the  floor  soon 
became  so  crowded  that  it  was  difficult  to  navigate  without 
bumping  into  someone  or  being  bumped ;  and  as  the  night 
went  on,  the  behaviour  of  some  of  the  men  began  to  get 
rather  hilarious  and  objectionable.  Some  of  these  had  been 
drinking  too  much  and  were  inclined  to  take  liberties,  not 
only  with  their  own  partners  and  immediate  friends  but  with 
the  people  they  did  not  know  at  all.  Their  idiosyncrasies 
were  not  much  noticed  until  it  came  to  the  Lancers.  In 
one  set  there  was  nearly  a  fight  because  one  of  the  dancers, 
in  turning  his  lady  partners  at  the  corners,  would  hardly 
let  them  go  and  wanted  to  embrace  them  with  a  thoroughness 
not  at  all  called  for  by  the  ordinary  exigencies  of  the  dance. 
This  almost  led  to  a  fight  between  the  offender  and  the 
young  men  attending  on  the  ladies  who  were  the  object  of 
the  inebriated  one's  attentions  and  the  masters  of  ceremonies 
had  to  intervene.  During  the  altercation,  by  common  con- 
sent the  dancing  was  halted.  The  matter  was  patched  up 
and  the  music  went  on  again ;  but  at  the  end  of  the  set, 
Miss  Pelton  who  had  been  dancing  it  with  Mr.  Kendall  came 
to  Alistair  to  tell  him  that  she  would  like  to  go  home. 
Lorraine,  who  was  with  her,  would  have  preferred  to  go 
too;  but  Ted  who  was  her  escort  had  not  yet  turned 
up  and  the  girl  was  greatly  worried  about  it.  She  had  been 
much  sought  after  by  the  young  men  and  had  never  sat  out 
a  dance  though  her  cousin  Olney  had  not  come  near  her  all 
night.  He  had  danced  with  Miss  Pelton  but  had  studiously 
kept  away  from  Lorraine.  She  felt  somewhat  lonely  ard 
was  a  little  disturbed  when  she  knew  that  Alistair  and  Miss 
Pelton  were  going  home.  She  would  fain  have  gone  too  had 
it  not  been  for  her  anxiety  about  Ted.  She  feared  that 
the  boy  must  have  been  drinking  again  or  he  would  not 
have  stayed  away  like  this  for  it  was  now  nearly  nine  o'clock. 

Alistair  divined  what  was  troubling  her  and  he  might 
have  offered  to  ride  down  to   Garston  to  find  Ted  and 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  229 

bring  him  back,  only  he  had  asked  Lorraine  to  dance  and 
she  had  refused  him.  This  rebuff  he  had  expected  but 
had  thought  that  it  was  a  matter  of  courtesy  to  make 
the  offer  seeing  that  he  was  in  a  measure  her  guest. 

Lorraine  went  with  Miss  Pelton  to  the  dressing-room  to 
ask  her  to  stay  for  a  while  longer  but  Amy  would  not  hear 
of  it.  She  had  counted  too  much  upon  this  drive  home 
with  Mr.  Kilgour  to  take  chances  of  spoiling  it  by  waiting 
too  late.  The  evening  was  passing  away  and  she  wanted 
to  make  the  most  of  it.  There  were  few  opportunities  in 
such  a  room  and  such  a  crowd. 

Alistair  had  gone  to  the  door  to  wait  there  for  Miss 
Pelton  away  from  the  rout  of  dancers  when  there  crossed 
through  the  knot  of  loungers  around  it,  a  small  boy  very 
breathless.  It  was  Herb  and  it  was  easy  to  see  by  the 
anxious,  searching  look  in  his  eyes  that  he  had  news.  They 
lighted  up  with  relief  when  he  saw  Alistair.  Quickly  the 
latter  drew  the  boy  outside  again  into  the  cool  night  air. 

"What's  the  news,  Herb?" 

"Oh,  Mr.  Kilgour,  Ted's  awful  drunk  again  and  he's 
gone  away  and  sold  Pronto  to  that  man  from  Calgary.  I 
couldn't  get  near  him  when  I  went  down  first — they  were 
in  one  of  the  private  rooms  by  themselves  so  I  just  hung 
around  and  waited  as  you  said.  I  knew  they  must  be 
drinkin'  'cos  old  Humpty  would  take  'em  in  booze  every 
now  and  again ;  but  I  hoped  as  how  mebbe  Ted  wouldn't 
be  taking  any.  Then  after  a  while  they  had  some  dinner 
taken  in  to  them  and  still  I  waited  outside  and  I  could 
hear  them  laughin'  an'  havin'  a  good  time  an'  I  could  hear 
Ted  and  he  was  laughin'  louder  than  any  of  them  but  I 
thought  that  mebbe  if  he  was  comin'  out  I  could  get  him  to 
come  home  with  me.  I  thought  as  mebbe  I  should  have 
come  and  told  you  before  but  I  thought  I  ought  to  wait 
and  I  kept  on  drinkin'  them  soda  waters  and  eatin'  crack- 
ers— for  I  got  old  Humpty  to  give  me  some,  I  was  so 
hungry." 

"Poor  boy, — I  should  think  you  would  be  hungry.  Well, 
what  happened  then?" 


230  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

"Oh,  pretty  soon  they  came  out,  and  it  was  then  that 
I  knew.  They  went  right  to  the  barn  and  took  poor  Pronto 
out  and  the  brand  inspector  he  examined  the  brand  by  the 
lantern.  'Yes,  it's  the  Inshallah  brand  all  right,'  he  said, 
and  he  made  a  note  of  it.  'I'll  let  you  off  the  five  cents 
you  owe  me  on  that  one.'  Then  they  led  him  over  to  the 
station  and  down  to  where  the  cattle  corral  is  and  Mr. 
Stubbs — that's  the  Calgary  man — his  cars  of  horses  was  ly- 
ing there  for  they  were  just  loaded  up  this  afternoon. 
Ted  saw  me  and,  though  he  was  pretty  bad,  he  wasn't  so 
drunk  that  he  didn't  notice  me  an'  he  says,  'What  you 
doin'  here,  Herb,  out  so  late?  Your  mother'll  spank  you 
when  you  get  home.' 

"  'What  you  doing  with  Pronto,'  I  says  ? 

"  'Never  you  mind,'  said  he.     'You  better  go  on  home.' 

"And  then  the  men  started  to  open  up  the  car  door — the 
station-agent  was  there  an'  another  man  that  was  to  look 
after  the  horses  on  the  trip — for  Stubbs  was  to  leave  on 
the  nine  o'clock  train.  I  heard  him  say  so — and  they  put 
poor  Pronto  into  the  corral  and  led  him  up  the  chute, 
though  they  had  to  club  him  to  it  for  he  didn't  want  to 
go  at  all.  Mr.  Du  Bois,  the  brand  inspector,  was  there, 
too,  and  he  helped  them. 

"Ted  got  awful  mad  when  he  saw  them  start  beating 
Pronto  to  make  him  climb  up,  but  Stubbs,  he  says,  'What 
you  grouchin'  about?  He  ain't  your  horse  any  more  that 
you  should  worry.' 

"  'I  wish  I  hadn't  sold  him  to  you,'  says  Ted  kind  o' 
sobered.  'He  ain't  got  no  right  to  sell  him,'  says  I  to 
Stubbs;  'he  belongs  to  Miss  Lorraine.' 

"  'He  belongs  to  me  now,'  said  Stubbs,  'and  I've  paid  more 
than  the  beast  is  worth  but  I'm  not  grumbling.  You  better 
run  home,  sonny,'  he  says  to  me  grinnin',  'or  I'll  put  you 
in  with  this  here  horse  and  send  you  to  Calgary  and  sell 
you  there  for  a  little  donkey  and  how'd  you  like  that?'  an' 
he  laughed.  When  he  said  he  had  paid  his  money  for 
him  then  I's  kind  o'  scared  to  say  any  more  and  I  thought 
I'd  better  let  you  know  as  soon  as  possible." 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  231 

"You  did  quite  right,  Herb;  but  tell  me  this,  you're 
sure  this  man  Stubbs  was  going  out  on  to-night's  train." 

"Well,  he  said  so.  I  heard  him  tell  the  brand  inspector 
that  he  was  to  stop  off  at  Revelstoke." 

"He'll  be  gone  now  then  unless  the  train  is  late.  When 
are  the  cars  with  the  horses  to  go  ?  Did  you  hear  when  the 
freight  was  due?" 

"No,  I  didn't  think  to  ask  that?" 

"You  did  well,  anyway,  to  find  out  so  much." 

Just  then  Miss  Pelton  came  out  with  Lorraine  who  ac- 
companied her  to  the  door  to  have  a  look  outside  for  Ted ; 
and  when  the  latter  saw  Herb  and  glanced  from  his  face 
to  Alistair  she  knew  something  was  wrong.  That  of  the 
boy  was  most  tell-tale — consternation  was  written  over  it 
for  he  was  fond  of  Lorraine  and  he  knew  what  Pronto 
was  to  her. 

"What  is  the  matter?    Where  is  Ted?" 

She  spoke  quickly  and  her  tones  were  tense  with  anxiety 
for  she  had  been  on  the  strain  all  evening.  Alistair  hast- 
ened to  relieve  her  mind. 

"Nothing  so  very  serious,  Miss  De  Roche,"  he  said;  "but 
it  is  bad  enough.  Your  brother's  been  drinking  again  down 
at  Garston  and  Herb  says  that  he  has  sold  Pronto  to  that 
buyer  from  Calgary.  I'm  afraid  it  is  true  enough,  for  the 
boy  says  he  saw  the  horse  loaded  on  the  car  to  be  shipped 
out  on  the  first  freight." 

"Surely  Ted  would  never  do  that,  oh  surely,  he  could 
never  do  that?"  said  Lorraine.  "Sell  my  horse,  Pronto ;  he 
would  never  do  it  unless  he  were  simply  crazy  with  drink." 
And  she  looked  to  Miss  Pelton  for  confirmation. 

"Why,  it  wouldn't  be  legal,  would  it?"  said  the  latter 
almost  as  much  aghast  as  Lorraine.  "How  could  he  sell 
what  wasn't  his  own?" 

"A  man  will  do  anything  when  the  drink  has  hold  of 
him,  I'm  afraid,"  said  Alistair  sadly.  "Of  course,  Ted 
would  never  have  thought  of  such  a  thing  if  he  had  been 
in  his  right  senses;  but  probably  they  plied  him  with  the 
liquor  till  they  could  do  what  they  liked  with  him.     The 


232  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

thing  to  do  now  is  to  stop  the  mischief  and  if  possible 
get  the  horse  back;  although,  from  what  Herb  tells  me, 
that  will  be  difficult  if  this  man  Stubbs  got  off  at  nine 
o'clock  for  Revelstoke  as  Herb  said  he  intended.  If  the 
horse  is  loaded  in  the  car  nobody  can  get  him  out  but 
Stubbs  himself." 

Lorraine  stood  silent  for  a  moment  wondering  what 
would  be  the  best  course  for  her  to  follow.  Olney  would 
have  been  the  one  for  her  naturally  to  turn  to  but  she  hated 
to  appeal  to  him  now.  Mr.  Thibault  had  gone  home  hours 
ago,  dances  not  being  in  his  line,  Captain  Trelawny  also. 
Mr.  Kendall  would  have  gladly  helped  her  but  her  pride 
revolted  at  the  idea  of  spreading  Ted's  folly  abroad.  It 
seemed  so  heartless  and  dishonourable,  her  cup  of  humilia- 
tion was  full.  Ted  knew  what  Pronto  was  to  her  and  that 
he  should  have  done  it  even  when  in  drink  seemed  in- 
credible. She  would  appeal  to  Olney  in  the  crisis  after  all, 
she  decided. 

"Excuse  me,  please,  and  I  shall  go  and  tell  my  cousin," 
she  said ;  and  went  back  into  the  hall.  A  dance  had  just 
come  to  a  close  and  she  had  no  difficulty  in  finding  Olney  who 
was  standing  chatting  merrily  in  the  midst  of  a  group  of 
girls.  He  frowned  slightly  when  she  broke  in  upon  them 
but  readily  turned  aside  with  her  when  he  saw  she  had  some- 
thing special  to  say  to  him. 

He  whistled  when  she  had  told  him  her  news;  but  his 
manner  was  not  consolatory.  She  was  watching  him  closely 
and  she  thought  that  he  did  not  seem  to  be  particularly 
sorry. 

"That's  what  comes  of  your  being  so  thick  with  the 
Britisher,  you  and  Ted."  he  said  with  an  air  of  triumph 
as  of  one  who  says  "I  told  you  so."  "He  has  had  a  hand 
in  this,  no  doubt.  I've  noticed  the  hold  he's  been  getting 
over  Ted  and  I  warned  you  of  it ;  and  now  the  kid's  gone 
and  made  a  fool  of  himself,  you  needn't  blame  me.  I  be- 
lieve you're  getting  sweet  on  that  chap  yourself  or  you 
wouldn't  have  turned  me  down  in  the  way  you  did." 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  233 

"What  am  I  to  do  about  Pronto,  Olney,  to  get  him  back?" 
she  asked  him,  the  tears  in  her  eyes. 

"There  isn't  anything  to  do.  If  Ted  has  sold  him,  he's 
sold  him,  that's  all  and  there's  nothing  much  that  you  can 
do  about  it  unless  you  can  persuade  the  man  to  give 
him  back  to  you ;  and  that  isn't  likely." 

"That's  what  I  want  to  do  now,  Olney;  he's  down  at 
Garston,  at  least  he  is  there  if  he  hasn't  gone  away  yet 
and  the  sooner  we  get  down  there  the  better.  Won't  you 
come  and  help  me  to  get  Pronto  back  from  him." 

"Not  I,  I'm  having  a  good  time  here  and  why  should  I 
put  myself  out  for  you  when  you  won't  do  anything  for 
me?  If  you'll  give  me  what  I  want,  why  I'll  go  with  you 
but  not  unless,  see." 

"All  right  then,"  she  said  and  turned  away  sadly  to  re- 
join the  other  two.  "Olney  won't  come,"  she  said  in  answer 
to  their  look  of  enquiry.  The  others  asked  no  questions.  It 
was  a  case  where  the  less  said,  the  better;  but  they  looked 
their  sympathy.  "I'll  go  and  get  my  things  and  go  myself," 
she  added  and  darted  off  again  to  the  dressing-room. 

"Poor  Lorraine,  I'm  sorry  for  her  with  her  ne'er-do-well 
brother.  What  a  thing  for  him  to  do,  to  sell  Pronto.  I 
suppose  that  Lorraine  will  never  see  him  again  for  the  man 
will  never  give  him  up  even  if  he  hasn't  left  Garston  by  this 
time.  W'ould  she  have  a  claim  on  the  horse  legally?  You 
are  a  lawyer  and  ought  to  know." 

"Yes,  she  could  claim  him ;  but  if  she  did  so  it  might  be 
at  the  expense  of  a  gaol  sentence  to  her  brother  and  she 
could  not  run  the  risk  of  that.  It  would  have  to  be  a 
matter  of  arrangement  with  the  man  and  if  he  were  dis- 
posed to  be  nasty  it  would  be  very  awkward  to  deal  with 
it.  Layburn  should  have  gone  with  her  if  he  had  been 
a  man  at  all;  but  I  am  afraid  that  he  is  not  much  of  a 
man." 

"I  daresay  Mr.  Kendall  will  go  and  help  her  and  if 
not  there  are  others  here  that  would  only  be  too  glad 
of  the  chance  to  do  a  good  turn  to  Lorraine.  No  doubt,  she 
will  ask  someone." 


234  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

Miss  Pelton  was  vexed  that  this  thing  should  have  hap- 
pened as  it  had.  Not  only  was  it  going  to  spoil  the  evening 
for  Lorraine  but  it  might  for  herself  also;  for  it  was  evi- 
dent that  Mr.  Kilgour  was  more  concerned  than  there  was 
any  need  for,  considering  how  Lorraine  had  treated  him. 
She  was  not  altogether  surprised  when  after  apparent  hesi- 
tation he  spoke  with  some  diffidence. 

"I  was  thinking  that  it  would  only  be  the  right  thing 
for  me  to  go,  seeing  I  am  living  in  their  house;  and  per- 
haps you  would  not  mind  waiting  here  until  we  come  back. 
We  can  get  one  of  these  autos  to  take  us  down  and  we 
would  not  be  long." 

"But  you  forget  that  I  am  all  ready  to  go  now,  and  the 
people  are  beginning  to  get  so  rough  that  I  could  not 
possibly  remain  here." 

She  spoke  coldly  and  Alistair,  who  had  expected  her  to 
assent  as  a  matter  of  course,  was  disappointed. 

"You  would  have  the  Kendalls  to  look  after  you  and 
if  they  wanted  to  go  before  I  got  back,  you  could  go 
home  with  them  and  I  would  come  for  you  there,"  he  sug- 
gested though  with  some  confusion. 

She  shook  her  head,  however.  It  did  not  suit  her  plans 
that  he  and  Lorraine  should  be  thrown  together  in  this 
affair. 

"Of  course,  if  she  gets  Mr.  Kendall  to  go  with  her  or 
anyone  else,  I  would  not  think  of  it;  but  here  she  comes 
now  and  we  shall  know,"  he  said  reassuringly. 

Lorraine  came  alone;  and  it  was  soon  evident  that  she 
had  no  intention  of  taking  Mr.  Kendall  or  anyone  else 
with  her.  The  quieter  the  whole  matter  was  kept,  the  better, 
she  said ;  and  she  had  sufficient  confidence  in  herself  to  feel 
that  if  she  once  got  hold  of  the  man,  Stubbs,  who  had  bought 
her  horse,  she  could  soon  persuade  him  to  give  it  back 
to  her.  However,  if  he  had  already  gone,  this  was  a  con- 
tingency that  she  had  not  brought  herself  to  face,  and  it 
would  be  time  enough  to  consider  it  when  the  need  arose. 

Miss  Pelton  expostulated  with  her  but  in  vain. 

"I  shall  go  with  you  then,"  said  Alistair  quietly;  "for  I 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  235 

am  sure  that  under  the  circumstances  Miss  Pelton  will  ex- 
cuse me  for  an  hour  or  two — it  is  now  ten  minutes  past 
nine — and  if  we  can  hire  an  auto,  as  I  expect  we  can,  it  will 
not  take  us  very  long. 

"Oh,  but  you  must  not  leave  Amy,"  said  Lorraine  quickly 
although  her  eyes  lighted  up  and  she  smiled  gratefully  at  his 
offer,  the  good  faith  of  which  she  could  hardly  doubt,  in 
spite  of  Olney's  recent  aspersion. 

"I  do  not  think  that  there  is  any  need  for  you  to  go, 
Mr.  Kilgour,"  Miss  Pelton  said,  "when  there  are  others  here 
that  would  be  glad  of  the  chance  if  Lorraine  would  not  be 
so  foolish.  I  do  not  see  why  she  should  be  so  unreason- 
able. It  almost  amounts  to  selfishness  if  she  is  going  to 
take  you  away  from  me  just  when  it  is  time  that  I  was 
going  home." 

"I  wouldn't  think  of  such  a  thing,  Amy,  as  you  know 
very  well,"  said  Lorraine  with  a  touch  of  indignation.  "It 
is  kind  of  Mr.  Kilgour  to  offer  but  there  is  absolutely  no 
need." 

"That  is  all  very  well,"  said  Alistair,  "but  I  cannot  let  you 
go  alone  for  perhaps  I  know  better  than  either  of  you  of 
the  difficulties  you  may  meet.  But  we  are  wasting  too  much 
time.  You  will  allow  me  an  hour  and  a  half,  Miss  Pelton, 
and  I  promise  to  be  back  by  then ;  and  you  can  remain  with 
the  Kendalls  until  I  come." 

He  spoke  with  an  easy  assurance  and  a  smile  as  if  there 
could  be  no  doubt  of  her  willing  assent.  She  was  annoyed 
at  his  persistence  and  angry  that  he  should  take  so  much 
for  granted  and  the  heat  of  her  displeasure  carried  her 
farther  than  her  reason  approved;  but  the  words  were 
spoken  and  her  repentance  was  unavailing  to  undo  them. 

"That  will  be  quite  all  right,  Mr.  Kilgour,"  she  replied 
with  the  smile  of  the  lips  which  the  expression  belies; 
"but  you  need  not  trouble  to  hurry  back  as  I  shall  make 
other  arrangements  for  getting  home.  There  are  those  who 
will  be  pleased  to  go  with  me  and  I  shall  not  have  to  wait. 
It  would  be  a  pity  to  trouble  you  so  much  and  you  do  not 
know  how  long  Lorraine  may  need  you.    Good-night,  Lor- 


236  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

raine,  and  I  do  hope  you  get  along  all  right  and  get  Pronto 
back.  It  is  chilly  out  here  and  I  had  better  go  in;  and 
it  is  time  you  were  away." 

With  a  nod  that  took  in  both  she  left  them  and  Lor- 
raine turned  to  Alistair  in  distress. 

"There,  now,  she  is  angry  with  you  and  all  because 
of  me,"  she  said  with  sympathy;  but  he  would  not  listen 
further. 

"Never  mind,"  he  said;  "she  was  unreasonable.  Let  us 
see  if  we  can  get  a  car  to  take  us  down.  Herb,  you  had 
better  follow  us  on  down  on  my  horse  for  we  might  need 
you.    I  hope  your  mother  won't  worry,  that's  all." 

They  found  a  motor  outside,  the  driver  of  which  was 
having  a  nap  in  his  car  while  waiting  for  the  dance  to  come 
to  an  end;  and  they  awoke  him  and  were  soon  speeding 
down  the  road  to  Garston. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 

CAN  I  see  Mr.  Stubbs?  Is  he  gone  yet?"  Alistair 
asked  of  old  Humpty  whom  he  and  Lorraine  found 
washing  glasses  behind  the  bar — for  the  girl  had  followed 
him  in  as  soon  as  she  saw  that  it  was  empty  of  cus- 
tomers. 

"No,  ye  can't  get  no  grub;  not  at  this  time  of  night 
leastways,"  said  Humpty  looking  curiously  from  one  to 
the  other.    "The  dining-room  closes  at  seven-thirty." 

"Mr.  Stubbs — is  he  gone  ?  The  horse  buyer  that  was  here 
from  Calgary,"  repeated  Alistair  bellowing  in  his  ear  so  that 
the  old  man  winced  and  recoiled  slightly  from  the  volume 
of  sound. 

"Oh,  ay,  Mr.  Stubbs ;  oh,  of  course.  A  little  chap  with 
whiskers;  oh,  yes,  I  know  the  man  you  mean.  Yes,  he 
went  away  not  half  an  hour  ago  on  the  nine-seven." 

"That's  too  bad !"  exclaimed  Alistair  looking  at  Lor- 
raine. "And  Mr.  Ted  De  Roche,  where  did  he  go?"  he 
bellowed  again. 

"Softly,  softly,  my  hearin's  a  little  better  to-night  and  you 
don't  just  need  to  speak  quite  so  hearty.  Mr.  Ted  De 
Roche,  why  he  hain't  gone  anywhere.  He's  asleep  on  the 
lounge  in  the  parlour.  I  wish  he  would  go  away  for  he 
ain't  just  an  ornament  to  a  house  that  tries  to  keep  re- 
spectable." 

"Let's  go  and  see  him,"  said  Alistair;  and  the  two  hur- 
ried into  the  common  room  of  the  place  which  was  fortu- 
nately empty  save  for  the  recumbent  figure  of  Ted  on  the 
lounge  by  the  window.  It  was  but  dimly  lighted  by  a  small 
lamp  on  the  table.  Alistair  stood  leaning  on  the  mantel-piece 
leaving  the  girl  to  go  over  to  her  brother  alone  for  he 
wished  to  spare  her  feelings  as  much  as  possible.  Ted  was 
not  asleep,  however,  for  as  Lorraine  spoke  to  him  he  rose 

237 


238  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

to  a  sitting  posture  with  an  involuntary  groan.  Liquor 
acted  very  quickly  upon  him  and  it  did  not  take  much 
to  make  him  completely  drunk. 

"Hello,  S-sis,  wh-wh-wh-at  you  doin'  here  at  this  time 
of  night?  Thought  thash  you  would  be  at  the  dance  havin' 
a  g-g-good  time,"  and  he  tried  to  straighten  up  and  look 
dignified.  The  attempt,  however,  only  made  him  hiccup 
and  sag  over  on  one  side  so  that  he  nearly  lost  his  balance 
and  lay  down  again. 

Lorraine  quickly  seated  herself  beside  him  and  put  her 
arm  around  his  shoulder  to  steady  him. 

"Oh,  Ted,  how  could  you  sell  Pronto?  Did  you  really 
doit?" 

He  looked  at  her  vacantly  for  a  minute. 

"Guess  I  did,  Sis — that  man  Stubbs  fine  chap  and  no  end 
rich.  Gave  me  hive  fundred  dollars  and  you  shall  have 
it  all,  Sis;  yes,  every  last  dollar,"  he  added  again,  "hive — ■ 
I  mean  five  hundred  dollars  spot  cash  an'  it's  all — right 
here ;"  and  he  slapped  the  breast  of  his  coat. 

"Oh,  Ted,  how  could  you  sell  my  horse ;  you're  drunk  and 
you  promised  that  you  wouldn't  touch  anything  to-day;  what 
made  you  do  it  ?" 

"Sorry,  Sis;  but  I — I'm  not  drunk — not  d-d-drunk  at  all. 
Very  far  from  it,  in  fact — oh  but  my  head's  damned  sore 
all  the  same.  The  money's  all  for  you,  Sis  and  you — you'll 
need  it  all.  That  sneak,  Kilgour,  he's  goin'  to  sell  us  all 
up — sell  us  up ;  and  worse  than  all,  Sis,  he's  tryin' — try  in' 
to  get  me  in  gaol,  Monte  knows — Monte  told  me  an' — an' 
I've  been  sick  with  worry  ever  since,"  and  he  began  to 
whine.  "Monte  told  me  right  this  afternoon  that  Kilgour 
had  got  another  clue  and  he'd  land  me — an'  Monte's  goin' 
to  split — he's  up  to  some  mischief  all  the  time.  But  I've 
got  to  keep  in  with  him  or  Kilgour'll  get  me,  he  says." 

"But  you  haven't  done  anything  wrong,  have  you,  Ted? 
You  can't  have  done  anything  wrong.  Mr.  Kilgour  is  here 
now,  you  know." 

Ted  looked  up  and  saw  Alistair  for  the  first  time.  The 
sight  seemed  to  sharpen  his  faculties. 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  239 

"No,  no,  Sis,  of  course,  I  haven't  done  anything  wrong; 
but  all  the  same  he's  a  sneak,  he  is — h-h-he's  trying  to  get 
me  in  wrong;  but — but  that's  all  right;  he'll  be  b-b-better 
look  out  for  me,  thash  all,  f-f-for  me  and  Monte." 

Alistair  came  forward. 

"You're  talking  nonsense,  Ted,  and  you  know  it,"  he  said 
good-humouredly.  "But  tell  us  about  the  horse,  poor 
Pronto." 

"Pronto,  why  Stubbs  has  got  him,  of  c-c-course — got 
him  loaded  in  the  car  now  with  the  rest — and  I've  got 
Stubbs'  money.  'F  you  like  Til  show  it  to  you ;"  and  he 
put  his  hand  into  the  breast  pocket  of  his  coat  and  drew  out 
a  thick  roll  of  bills.  He  fingered  them  over  with  the  clumsi- 
ness of  a  drunken  man,  starting  in  to  count  them  but  always 
getting  mixed  after  he  had  turned  over  three  or  four. 

"You'd  better  get  them  away  from  him,"  Alistair  whis- 
pered to  Lorraine,  "or  someone  may  rob  him." 

"Let  me  count  them,  Ted.  I'll  keep  them  for  you  until 
your  head's  better,"  she  said.  She  quietly  took  them  out  of 
his  hand  and  he  offered  no  resistance  although  he  seemed  a 
little  nonplussed  all  the  same. 

"Has  Stubbs  gone  to  Calgary,  Ted?"  asked  Alistair. 

"Revelstoke,  I  tell  you.  He'll  be  there  for  a  day  or 
two,"  he  said.  "Then  he's  going  on  to  Calgary.  Pronto's 
in  the  car  with  the  other  horses." 

"When  do  they  go  out  ?" 

"Oh,  how  my  head  aches!"  the  boy  groaned.  "I  do 
wish  you'd  go  away  and  leave  me  alone ;  I'm  so  dead 
t-t-t-tired." 

"But  when  do  they  go  out,  Ted  ?  When  does  the  freight 
train  come  past?" 

"Oh  don't  bother  me;  how  should  I  know;"  and  he 
settled  down  on  the  lounge  again. 

"We'd  better  leave  him  and  find  out  about  that  freight 
and  if  there's  anything  we  can  do  further,"  said  Alistair 
to  Lorraine ;  "although  I'm  afraid  with  the  man  gone 
there's  nothing  much.    We  might  wire  to  Stubbs  though  or 


240  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

something.  Dickson,  the  station-agent  may  be  able  to  give 
us  some  advice." 

Lorraine  rose  and  gently  pushed  her  brother  down  on  the 
lounge  stroking  for  a  moment  his  hot  head  with  her 
fingers.  Then  she  turned  to  follow  Alistair.  Her  heart 
was  sick  with  a  new  fear,  for  Ted's  words  had  again  filled 
her  with  distrust  of  him  and  she  felt  as  if  she  were  moving 
in  the  midst  of  pitfalls;  but  she  must  make  every  effort 
now  to  recover  Pronto.  Ted,  poor  boy,  would  wait.  There 
would  be  time  enough  later  for  her  to  think  about  him. 

They  walked  over  to  the  little  station  building  that  was 
just  across  the  road  from  the  hotel  and  found  Dickson  busy 
working  with  his  freight-bills  in  the  office.  He  looked  up 
surprised  when  he  saw  Lorraine,  a  grizzled  old  Irishman 
who  had  known  her  from  childhood. 

"Miss  De  Roche ;  it's  late  for  you  to  be  down  here.  I 
thought  that  you  would  have  been  at  the  dance  after  the 
show.  So  your  horse  won  the  race  and  then  you  sold 
him,  eh?" 

"That's  just  what  I  came  to  see  you  about,  Mr.  Dickson, 
and  I  thought  perhaps  you  could  help  me,"  she  began  and 
told  him  all  the  trouble  in  which  she  found  herself.  He 
opened  his  eyes  wide  and  pursed  up  his  lips  in  dismay. 

"Sure  but  that's  bad  business,  miss — a  bad  business.  What 
to  do  about  it,  I'm  sure  I  don't  know,"  and  he  looked  at 
Alistair  in  bewilderment. 

"You've  got  to  open  up  the  car  and  take  Pronto  out, 
that's  all,"  said  Lorraine  triumphantly  as  if  there  was  noth- 
ing that  could  be  simpler. 

"Oh,  for  the  love  of  Mike,  but  I  couldn't  do  that  now, 
Miss  De  Roche.  I'd  be  finding  myself  in  the  cooler  or 
losing  my  job  at  the  least.  According  to  what  you  tell  me, 
this  man  Stubbs  paid  Ted  for  the  horse,  did  he  not  now  ?" 

"Yes,  but  Ted  had  no  right  to  sell  him;  he  was  drunk 
when  he  did  it  and  this  man  made  him  so." 

"Then  ye'd  be  gettin'  Ted  into  trouble,  miss,  wouldn't 
ye?    There's  the  divil  of  it." 

"I'm   afraid   he   is   quite   right,    Miss  De   Roche,"   said 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  241 

Alistair.  "It  wouldn't  be  safe  to  take  that  course,  either 
for  Mr.  Dickson  here  or  for  Ted.  You  could  write  to  Mr. 
Stubbs — no  doubt,  someone  here  would  know  his  address — 
or  if  not  here,  at  Kamloops  and  the  letter  would  be  there 
as  soon  as  he  would.  You  could  explain  the  whole  matter 
and  if  Stubbs  is  any  good  at  all,  he'll  let  you  have  the 
horse  back  on  the  return  of  the  money." 

"No,  no,  he  would  keep  the  horse  or  sell  him?"  she  said 
impatiently,  and  the  glance  that  she  turned  on  him  was 
not  without  suspicion.  "I  would  never  take  chances  on  that. 
I'll  go  with  the  horses  myself  rather.  I  can  ride  in  the 
caboose.  I'm  not  afraid.  Ted  went  to  Vancouver  once 
with  a  carload  of  cattle  and  he  said  it  was  fun.  When 
does  the  freight  train  go,  Mr.  Dickson?"  she  asked. 

"She'll  be  here  in  about  fifteen  minutes,"  he  answered; 
"but  it's  jokin'  that  ye  are,  of  course.  You  would  never 
think  of  such  a  thing." 

"I  am  quite  in  earnest,  Mr.  Dickson.  Mr.  Stubbs  has 
gone  to  Revelstoke.  He  was  to  stop  off  on  his  way  home 
and  I  could  catch  him  there ;  and  if  I  once  get  him  face  to 
face,  I  think  that  I  can  persuade  him  to  give  me  back 
the  horse." 

"I'm  thinkin'  that  with  these  eyes  of  yours,  miss,  ye  could 
persuade  him  to  give  you  the  teeth  out  of  his  head,"  said 
the  gallant  Irishman,  his  brogue  becoming  richer  as  his 
interest  grew  stronger,  "but  all  the  same  don't  be  asking 
me  for  to  countenance  it.  It  wouldn't  be  the  thing  at  all 
for  you  to  be  ridin'  in  a  dirty  caboose  with  the  rough  min 
that  you're  liable  to  find  in  them  places.  You'd  be  fright- 
ened for  your  life,  you  would  and  wishin'  you  was  back 
home  again.  But  excuse  me  now,  Miss,  for  I  have  to 
go  and  get  some  boxes  ready  in  the  shed  to  go  on  this 
train  and  there's  jist  about  time  for  me  to  do  it  and  that's 
all ;"  and  he  hurried  away  leaving  the  two  alone. 

"You  cannot  possibly  do  such  a  thing,  Miss  De  Roche," 
said  Alistair.  "It  would  be  madness ;  but  there  is  nothing 
to  hinder  me  going  if  I  can  get  the  conductor — to  let  me 


242  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

ride  on  the  train.  I  could  see  Stubbs  at  Revelstoke.  It 
is  no  affair  for  a  girl  to  undertake." 

She  looked  at  him  with  a  mingling  of  gratitude  and 
doubt,  gratitude,  for  his  words  sounded  so  fair  and  she 
felt  so  helpless  and  alone ;  doubt,  because  from  the  first  she 
had  thought  of  him  as  her  enemy  and  now  after  Ted's 
ominous  words  of  but  a  few  minutes  before  she  had  more 
reason  than  ever  to  consider  him  such.  Olney  had  warned 
her,  too,  against  him ;  and  how  could  she  entrust  Pronto's 
fate  to  him.  There  were  moments  when  she  could  not 
help  liking  him ;  and  she  felt  that  she  had  to  be  on  her 
guard  or  he  might  break  down  her  defences  of  distrust 
and  then,  after  having  won  her  confidence,  take  advantage 
of  it.  This  might  be  a  cunning  scheme  of  that  kind.  If 
she  had  felt  sure  that  he  would  bring  back  her  horse, 
she  would  have  accepted  the  offer  for  Pronto's  sake  even 
although  it  would  have  laid  her  under  an  obligation  to  him ; 
but  she  was  by  no  means  sure. 

"Your  proposal  is  very  generous  if  it  is  sincere,  Mr. 
Kilgour,"  she  said  quietly ;  "but  I  could  not  accept  it  for  a 
moment.  You  forget  what  Ted  said  a  short  time  ago  and 
while  it  may  not  be  true — I  hope  it  is  not — I — I — hate  to  say 
such  a  thing  but  you  should  realise — you  should  under- 
stand  "    Here  she  stopped  in  confusion  utterly  unable  to 

frame  what  she  wanted  to  say. 

Alistair  looked  down  upon  her  from  his  superior  height 
with  a  smile  that  held  a  touch  of  bitterness.  In  the 
gloom  of  the  dingy  office  she  appeared  so  young  and 
fragile,  such  a  mere  child  almost.  Her  face  was  troubled, 
its  natural  transparency  of  skin  intensified  by  the  dim  light 
and  the  shadows  cast  by  her  hair.  The  little  brown  riding 
cap  surmounting  it,  in  the  hurry  of  her  departure  and  their 
swift  journey  down  from  Rexham,  had  acquired  a  certain 
rakish  tilt  not  unbecoming.  It  was  impossible  to  be  very 
angry  with  her. 

"You  want  to  say  that  after  what  Ted  told  you,  you 
cannot  trust  me  to  go  for  you,"  he  said. 

His  pride  would  not  allow  him  to  defend  himself.    Had 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  243 

he  been  willing  to  do  so  and  to  reason  with  her,  she 
would  have  been  more  inclined  to  believe  in  him ;  but  that 
he  made  no  protestations  seemed  to  her  evidence  in  favour 
of  his  guilt. 

"Well,  I — I — suppose — something  like  that "  she  re- 
plied and  though  the  admission  came  hesitatingly,  her  in- 
tonation was  definite  enough.  "But  I  believe  there  comes 
the  train,"  she  broke  off,  glad  of  an  excuse  to  change  the 
subject,  as  they  heard  the  whistle  blow  and  the  rumble  grow- 
ing gradually  louder  together  with  the  quick,  gasping  puff 
of  the  freight  engine. 

Alistair  opened  the  door  for  her  and  they  went  out, 
to  be  met  by  Herb  who  had  been  looking  for  them  anxi- 
ously. It  appeared  that  he  had  been  doing  detective  work 
to  some  purpose  for  he  had  interviewed  the  man  who  was 
to  travel  with  the  horses  to  Calgary.  He  had  come  over 
with  him  from  the  hotel  and  Herb  had  been  pumping  him  all 
the  way.  Mr.  Stubbs  was  to  stop  off  at  Revelstoke,  the 
man  had  said.  Herb  pointed  him  out  standing  nearby,  a 
shapeless  figure  in  the  gloom  of  the  night. 

Conversation,  however,  was  completely  cut  off  as  the  train 
drew  near  and  thundered  in  with  a  great  flashing  of  sparks 
from  the  wheels  as  the  brakes  began  to  grind.  It  seemed  a 
great  length  as  car  after  car  passed  them  and  they  held  their 
hands  to  their  faces  to  protect  their  eyes  from  the  flying 
dust  and  the  cinders  while  the  ground  seemed  to  shake  under 
their  feet  with  the  weight  of  the  ponderous  wheels.  At 
last  after  the  engine  had  passed  the  station,  with  many 
mighty  groanings  the  whole  train  came  to  a  standstill. 

From  the  caboose  at  the  end  they  saw  someone  jump 
off  and  come  towards  them.  He  was  carrying  a  lantern 
and  humming  to  himself  as  he  went.  The  man  who  was 
to  go  with  the  horses  went  to  meet  him  and  they  exchanged 
a  few  words.  Then  the  former  walked  on  towards  the  rear 
end  of  the  train  while  the  latter  continued  his  approach. 
He  gazed  at  them  curiously  and  would  have  gone  on  but 
Lorraine  went  over  and  spoke  to  him. 

'Are  you  the  conductor  ?"  she  said. 


244  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

"Yes,  ma'am,  I  guess  you've  hit  it  right." 

"Would  you  let  me  ride  in  the  caboose  as  far  as  Revel- 
stoke  if  I  gave  you  a  ten-dollar  bill?"  she  asked  rather 
faintly,  somewhat  abashed  at  her  own  temerity. 

"Jee-rusalem !"'  he  exclaimed  lifting  the  lantern  higher 
so  that  he  might  see  her  face.  "What's  all  this?  Let  us 
have  it  again  if  you  please." 

She  repeated  her  question  louder  this  time  though  still 
with  a  tremor  in  her  voice. 

"This  is  a  rum  go  an'  no  mistake.  Ain't  the  bloomin' 
passenger  good  enough  for  you,  miss  ?  'Taint  an  hour  since 
she  went  past ;  but  mebbe  you  lost  her.    Wras  that  it  ?" 

"Ye-es  I  lost  her — that  is,  I  lost  the  man  that  went  on  her 
and — and — and  I've  got  to  catch  him  at  Revelstoke,  you 
see." 

"Take  my  advice,  miss  an'  if  he's  run  away  from  you, 
let  'im  go.  He's  not  worth  following  or  my  name  ain't 
Dan  Tattersall." 

"No,  no,  it  isn't  that,"  said  Lorraine  impatiently ;  "don't 
you  understand  ?  I  have  to  catch  him  on  a — on — a  business 
matter ;  he's  got  my  horse,  you  see.  Oh,  I  can't  very  well 
explain,  but  I  must  get  to  Revelstoke  with  this  train — I 
really  must;"  and  there  were  tears  in  her  tones  which 
evidently  had  their  effect  on  the  conductor  for  he  changed 
his  manner. 

"I'm  very  sorry,  miss,  very  sorry,  indeed;  but  we  ain't 
allowed  to  carry  passengers,  especially  lady  passengers — ' 
hain't  got  the  accommodation  so  to  speak.  Why,  in  that  there 
dirty  caboose  of  mine  it'd  be  out  of  the  question.  Never 
heard  such  a  thing — might  get  me  into  no  end  of  trouble — 
lose  my  job  and  all  the  rest  of  it,  you  know.  We  won't 
be  in  Revelstoke  for  eight  or  ten  hours  and  that's  only 
if  we  have  good  luck.  You  take  the  passenger  in  the 
mornin'  and  you'll  be  there  pretty  near  as  soon  and  with 
a  heap  more  comfort.  It'd  be  an  easy  way  for  me  to  earn 
a  ten-spot  besides  the  pleasant  company  I'd  have  by  the 
way;  but  I'm  advisin'  ye  for  the  best  for  yourself,  miss. 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  245 

*T  ain't  no  joke  though,  for  me  to  refuse  such  a  good- 
lookin'  girl  even  if  I  did  run  the  risk  of  bein'  fired.  I 
guess  I  could  take  a  chance  on  that  for  once.  But  I'll 
have  to  get  along  now  an'  tend  to  business.  We  have  to 
pick  up  a  couple  of  cars  of  horses  here  and  some  other 
stuff.  If  you're  of  the  same  mind  when  I  come  back,  we'll 
talk  about  it  again.    I'm  not  makin'  any  promises  though." 

He  walked  off  down  the  platform,  the  lantern  making 
quaint  shadows  as  he  went;  and  Lorraine  turned  with 
triumph  to  Alistair,  forgetting  for  the  moment  the  ten- 
sion of  the  last  words  that  she  had  spoken  to  him. 

"He'll  consent,  you'll  see,"  she  announced  almost  glee- 
fully.   "You  see  how  he  wavered  between  two  opinions." 

"It  is  sheer  madness,"  said  Alistair  sharply,  his  tones 
perhaps  rendered  the  more  incisive  by  the  sting  of  her 
recently  expressed  distrust.  "Stark  staring  insanity.  His 
advice  for  you  to  take  the  morning  train,  if  you  must 
go  yourself,  was  sound,  and  that  is  what  you  should  do. 
You  will  be  there  very  nearly  as  soon,  maybe  sooner; 
for  although  I  don't  know  much  about  your  freight  trains, 
I  imagine  that  they  are  very  uncertain  in  their  time." 

"They  can't  surely  lose  much  time  between  here  and 
Revelstoke.  Why,  it  isn't  a  great  deal  over  a  hundred  miles ; 
you  could  do  it  in  a  motor  car  in  a  few  hours  if  you  had 
a  road  and  surely  you  can  in  a  train." 

Her  tones  had  stiffened  to  match  his;  for  her  forget- 
fulness  had  been  but  momentary  and  again  she  was  won- 
dering if  there  could  be  any  hidden  motive  behind  his 
words.  It  seemed  such  a  simple  thing  to  her  just  to  jump 
on  the  train  and  be  there  in  the  morning;  to  bring  this 
man  Stubbs  to  hear  reason  and  return  triumphantly  bring- 
ing Pronto  with  her. 

"Yes,  but  a  few  hours  seem  a  long  time  if  it  is  night 
and  you  have  to  sit  up  in  a  cold,  draughty  car  when 
you're  accustomed  to  be  asleep  in  a  comfortable  bed.  Your 
cousin,  Olney,  would  never  hear  of  such  a  thing  and  your 
aunt  would  be  shocked  at  the  idea." 


246  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

"My  cousin,  Olney,  wasn't  willing  to  put  himself  out 
enough  to  come  down  with  me  or  it  would  not  have  been 
necessary  for  me  to  go  at  all.  As  it  is,  I  am  going.  I 
dare  not  wait  over  for  the  passenger  train  for  I  might 
be  too  late.  I  shall  stay  with  my  horse  until  I  get  him 
out." 

"Indeed,  you  must  not  think  of  it,  Miss  De  Roche.  I 
insist  that  you  give  up  this  madness.  It  is  really  not 
right  for  you  to  go.  You  may  get  into  all  sorts  of  trouble. 
What  will  they  think  at  home?  They  will  be  worried  out 
of  their  senses;  and  your  father — what  will  he  say?" 

"You  will  tell  him  that  I  have  stayed  over  at  the  Kendalls 
— he  will  think  it  quite  natural.  It  is  a  white  lie  but  we 
must  take  some  chances  for  Pronto's  sake.  The  recording 
angel  will  not  be  very  severe  on  that  one,  I  feel  sure.  I 
shall  be  back  before  anyone  knows  I  am  away." 

"Herb  must  tell  him  then.  Of  course,  I  shall  have  to 
go  with  you." 

"Indeed,  you  shall  not!  There  is  no  need  and  I  do 
not  want  you." 

"You  cannot  possibly  go  alone  and  unprotected.  It 
would  not  be  safe  at  all — there  are  dangers  that  might 
not  occur  to  you,"  he  hectored.  "It  is  not  what  you  want 
that  matters.     It  is  what  is  fitting  and  necessary." 

"You  must  kindly  allow  me  to  be  the  judge  of  what  is 
fitting  and  necessary.  If  I  am  to  believe  my  brother's 
words, — yes,  and  I  am  sorry  to  say  my  own  experience 
must  bear  them  out — the  danger  is  more  likely  to  lie  in 
your  presence  than  in  your  absence  on  the  trip."  His 
domineering  tones  made  her  wish  to  punish  his  impertinence 
and  the  impulse  drove  her  to  speak  more  severely  than  she 
otherwise  would.  Repenting  a  little  she  veered  around  trying 
to  school  her  voice  to  an  easier  strain.  "I  am  sure  that  con- 
ductor is  a  kindly,  honest  sort  of  person  and  I  shall  be  all 
right  with  him." 

"Oh,  very  well  then,  Miss  De  Roche,  perhaps  you  may 
yet  think  better  of  it;  but  I  need  trouble  you  no  further. 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  247 

I  must  apologise  for  my  presumption;"  and  bowing,  he 
turned  upon  his  heel,  and  walked  away,  leaving  the  girl 
standing  a  desolate  figure  to  ponder  unavailingly  as  to  his 
meaning.  But  he  did  not  go  far,  for  Herb  had  been  standing 
off  a  little  ways  to  allow  them  to  talk  privately,  and  Alistair 
stopped  to  speak  to  him. 

"What  became  of  the  man  who  is  to  go  with  the  horses, 
Herb?" 

"I  think  he  went  and  climbed  into  the  caboose,  Mr. 
Kilgour,"  and  the  boy  stood  to  attention  in  his  most  military 
manner.  He  was  aware  that  strange  things  were  in  progress 
and  his  senses  were  alert  that  he  might  be  ready  for  what- 
ever would  be  required  of  him. 

"Now  listen  to  me,  Herb,  carefully,  for  you  mustn't 
make  any  mistake.  Miss  De  Roche  has  decided  that  she 
must  go  on  this  train  to-night  to  Revelstoke  in  order  to 
try  to  get  back  her  horse  from  the  man  who  has  bought 
him.  It  is  rank  folly;  but  she  says  she  is  going  to  do  it 
and  I  believe  that  she  will.  Now  I  can't  let  her  go  alone 
for  several  reasons;  and  I  shall  have  to  try  and  arrange 
with  this  man  who  is  with  the  horses  to  let  me  take  his 
place.  If  I  can,  you'll  not  see  me  any  more  to-night;  for 
I'll  stay  right  on  the  caboose.  Now  you  must  keep  Miss 
Lorraine  company  until  she  leaves.  If  she  asks  where  I 
have  gone,  tell  her  you  saw  me  walk  away,  which  will  be 
true  enough.  Go  at  once  to  the  dance  and  tell  Mr.  Layburn 
that  his  cousin  has  gone  to  Revelstoke  to  try  and  get  back 
Pronto.  You  can  say  that  she  and  I  parted,  not  friends 
because  I  didn't  want  her  to  go.  Don't,  whatever  you  do, 
tell  any  of  them  that  she  went  on  the  freight  train.  That's 
the  deadest  kind  of  a  dead  secret,  Herb,  you're  to  remember. 
You  don't  know  where  I  am  and  you  won't,  for  I  don't 
know  where  I'll  be  myself.  You  can  say  that  I  am  to  be 
away  for  a  few  days  on  business.     Now  do  you  understand  ?" 

"Sure." 

"That's  all  then.     You've  done  good  work  to-night  and 
I'm  grateful.    So  long,  just  now." 


248  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

"So  long,"  said  Herb  proudly  as  Alistair  shook  hands. 
His  heart  swelled  with  pleasure  as  he  watched  his  friend 
disappear  in  the  blackness  of  the  night.  If  he  could  only 
have  gone  too,  his  cup  of  contentment  would  have  been 
full. 


CHAPTER  XXXV 

ASSISTED  by  the  conductor,  who  had  yielded  to  her 
pleading,  moved  thereto  more  by  what  he  had  learned 
from  Dickson,  the  station-agent,  than  by  that  and  the  ten- 
dollar  bill  that  he  was  not  above  taking,  Lorraine  climbed 
lightly  up  the  steps  of  the  dark  caboose ;  but  it  was  with 
a  sinking  somewhere  inside  of  her  that  she  waved  good- 
bye to  the  small  figure  of  Herb  standing  below  her  as  the 
train  moved  slowly  away.  Then  when  he  was  no  more  to 
be  seen  she  turned  inside  and  found  herself  in  the  dimly- 
lighted  interior.  The  windows  were  high  up  so  that  one 
could  not  look  out  of  them  and  there  were  lockers  running 
along  the  sides.  These  were  not  upholstered ;  but  at  the  far 
end  there  was  one  leather  cushion  and  on  this  lay  the 
figure  of  a  man  which  she  could  just  dimly  make  out.  A 
coat  that  was  thrown  over  him  hid  his  face  and  body 
completely  but  the  boots  sticking  out  from  under  assisted 
her  to  determine  the  nature  of  the  object  that  it  concealed. 
At  the  near  end  the  conductor  was  busy  replenishing  a 
coal  stove ;  opposite  this  was  a  sink  with  two  or  three 
dirty  dishes  still  lying;  and  the  conductor  at  once  began 
to  wash  these  in  a  little  tin  basin  and  as  he  wiped  them 
laid  them  carefully  in  a  little  locker  set  into  the  bulkhead. 
He  then  got  out  a  bundle  of  papers  from  the  breast  pocket 
of  his  coat  and  sitting  down  remained  absorbed  in  these 
while  the  girl  was  left  to  her  thoughts.  He  was  a  whole- 
some looking  man  with  red  cheeks  and  a  brown  moustache 
and  rather  inclined  to  stoutness  and  she  was  somewhat  re- 
assured as  she  watched  him ;  for  he  looked  as  if  he  could  be 
trusted. 

However,  in  the  course  of  half  an  hour  or  so,  he  got 
up  and  went  out ;  and  she  was  left  alone  except  for  the 
silent,  recumbent  figure  on  the  locker.     It  was  then  that 

249 


250  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

Mr.  Kilgour's  warning  counsels  pressed  themselves  with  re- 
newed force  upon  her  mind  and  she  began  to  think  that 
perhaps  they  had  not  been  so  groundless  and  unreasonable 
as  she  had  fancied. 

The  few  hours  that  must  elapse  before  they  could  reach 
Revelstoke  which  had  seemed  so  short  to  her  when  standing 
on  the  security  of  the  platform,  she  realised  now  might 
be  like  an  eternity  if  the  nervousness  that  she  was  be- 
ginning to  feel  should  continue  and  increase.  She  won- 
dered if  the  conductor  would  be  long  away  and  where  he 
had  gone  to.  Then  she  went  out  to  the  door  of  the  car  to 
see  if  he  was  standing  on  the  steps  perhaps;  but  he  was 
not  there.  It  was  so  dark  and  eerie  outside  that  she  hur- 
ried back  in  again  possessed  with  the  fear  that  in  her 
absence  the  figure  on  the  bench  might  rise  up  and  come  out 
to  her. 

Her  thoughts  went  back  to  the  bright  scene  of  pleasure 
that  she  had  left  at  the  dance  and  then  to  her  home.  She 
reflected  that  just  about  this  time  her  aunt  would  be  going 
to  bed  after  tucking  up  her  father  for  the  night.  Herb, 
the  brave  little  chap,  would  be  off  homewards  in  the  dark. 

Then  she  thought  of  Ted  and  of  what  he  had  said  as 
to  Mr.  Kilgour's  sinister  designs ;  and  she  recalled  many 
little  evidences  of  the  boy's  distress  which  had  been  incom- 
prehensible at  the  moment  but  which  in  the  light  of  his 
disclosure  seemed  clear  enough  to  her  now.  She  had 
thought  at  times  that  he  was  needlesslv  rude  to  Mr.  Kilgour 
on  occasions  when  it  had  seemed  even  to  her,  prejudiced 
as  she  felt  herself  to  be,  that  there  was  no  justification  for 
it.  True  she  had  taken  a  certain  malicious  enjoyment  out 
of  such  little  ebullitions  and  she  had  never  reproved  Ted 
for  them ;  but  she  had  thought  them  unfair. 

What  if  Ted  were  mistaken  though?  She  could  hardly 
square  his  suspicion  with  the  impression  she  had  formed 
of  Mr.  Kilgour.  She  had  thought  the  young  man  hard 
and  grasping  but  he  had  never  appeared  to  her  to  be 
treacherous  or  underhand.  She  could  conceive  of  nothing 
baser  than  for  him  to  have  lived  in  their  house  and  eaten 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  251 

at  their  table  and  to  have  sought  to  win  the  boy's  friend- 
ship only  to  bring  him  to  ruin.  It  had  been  plain  enough 
of  late  too  that  he  had  done  all  he  could  to  please  and 
propitiate.  At  times,  it  seemed  as  if  Ted  really  had  been 
won  over;  and  then  there  had  come  a  reaction  and  he  had 
been  as  cold  and  stiff  as  he  dared  without  giving  Mr. 
Kilgour  an  excuse  for  open  resentment. 

If  Ted  was  wrong  in  his  suspicions,  if  there  was  really 
nothing  in  the  accusation  he  had  made  a  short  hour  ago 
in  the  hotel  parlour,  when  drink  had  taken  possession  of 
him,  Mr.  Kilgour  would  have  just  grounds  for  resentment, 
indeed. 

As  the  train  clattered  on,  the  car  often  swaying  uncom- 
fortably and  the  various  tin  dishes  and  other  articles  rattling 
against  the  wall  inside  and  still  the  conductor  remained 
away,  her  fears  increased.  Above  the  other  noises  every 
now  and  again  would  sound  the  shrill,  eerie  blasts  of  the 
engine  whistle  to  warn  the  public  as  the  train  swept 
over  some  level  crossing.  Startling  and  uncanny  like  the 
shrieks  of  some  monster,  they  helped  to  make  her  feel  more 
keenly  the  loneliness  of  her  position. 

Again  and  again  she  glanced  round  at  the  sleeping  figure 
near  her.  Was  it  really  sleeping?  This  she  was  unable  to 
determine.  She  had  a  horrible  feeling  that  it  might  be 
watching  her  all  the  time.  She  felt  sure  that  it  had  changed 
its  position ;  that  it  was  peeping  at  her  under  the  coat.  She 
scolded  herself  for  her  silly  fears  assuring  herself  that 
they  were  groundless  and  that  the  poor  man  there  was  as 
harmless  as  herself.  She  ceased  looking  round  at  him 
lest  if  he  was  looking  at  her  and  had  sinister  designs,  he 
might  think  that  she  was  frightened.  She  had  really  only 
been  alone  with  him  a  short  time  but  it  seemed  like  hours. 

All  at  once  she  heard  a  rustle  and  the  scraping  of  the 
boots  on  the  locker  and  she  was  aware  that  he  had  thrown 
off  the  coat  and  was  sitting  up.  She  was  afraid  to  look 
around.  A  sudden  nervous  terror  seized  her.  There  was 
a  prickly  sensation  in  her  tongue.     She  could  almost  have 


252  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

shrieked.     It  was  a  clear  case  of  unreasoning  panic  born 
of  suspense  and  apprehension. 

*Well,  well ;  we  are  fellow  travellers,  I  see,"  a  voice  said 
at  last  after  the  seconds  of  silence  had  seemed  minutes. 
"So  you  disregarded  my  advice  after  all." 
She  turned  round  with  a  gasp  of  relief. 
"Oh,  it's  you?"  she  exclaimed  as,  her  eyes  confirming 
what  her  ears  had  reported,  she  recognised  Mr.  Kilgour 
with  his  hair  very  rumpled;  for  he  had  thrown  off  the 
sombrero  hat  which  had  covered  his  face  and  was  now 
dangling  it  on  his  knee. 

"You,"  she  repeated  in  a  kind  of  stupefaction  of  sur- 
prise. 

"Even  so,"  he  replied  calmly  still  looking  at  his  hat, 
his  grammar  breaking  down  in  the  emergency.  "Who  else 
did  you  expect?" 

Then  as  her  blood  began  to  flow  more  normally  and  her 
nerve  to  return,  resentment  revived  as  fear  was  dispelled. 

"Oh,  you  frightened  me  so !"  and  she  shuddered.    "How 
dared  you  ?"  she  demanded  indignantly. 
"How  dared  I  what  ?" 
"How  dared  you  follow  me  in  this  way  ?" 
"Follow  you !     Why,  you  followed  me !     I  was  hoping 
to  have  a  comfortable  snooze  and  wake  up  in  Revelstoke 
and   now   you   with   your   interference   have    spoilt   it   all. 
When  I  am  wakened  out  of  my  beauty  sleep  it  breaks  my 
rest  for  the  night."     Raising  his  hands  above  his  head  he 
yawned  insolently,  she  thought. 

Even  in  the  dim  light  of  the  caboose,  her  eyes  flashed 
fire.  To  be  nearly  frightened  to  death  and  then  to  have 
one's  just  remonstrances  made  fun  of  to  have  the  offender 
pretend  to  be  the  injured  party,  it  was  too  much.  She  rose 
to  her  feet  and  faced  him,  her  slight  figure  drawn  up  to 
its  full  height  tensely  dramatic  in  its  pose  and  her  little 
chin  thrust  forward.  So  Cleopatra  might  have  looked  when 
she  ordered  some  offending  slave  to  be  taken  to  instant 
execution.  Anger  had  completely  triumphed  over  her  fears 
and  the  depression  of  a  moment  ago  was  forgotten. 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  253 

"You  insufferable  cad!  to  take  advantage  of  a  girl's 
helplessness  when  you  know  that  there  is  no  one  around 
who  can  punish  you.  You  big  bully  that  you  are.  You 
think  that  I  am  helpless  and  that  therefore  you  can  do 
what  you  like.  But  do  not  be  too  sure.  I  am  not  so 
defenceless  as  you  think :  and  I  shall  get  the  conductor  to 
put  you  off  the  train  as  soon  as  he  comes  back,  which  may 
be  any  time  now.  Oh,  how  I  hate  you,  how  I  bate  the 
sight  of  you !" 

She  stormed  above  him  like  a  queen  of  tragedy  while 
he  cringed  before  her  on  the  locker.  He  had  turned  his 
head  to  look  up  at  her,  but  when  she  had  burst  forth, 
he  buried  his  face  in  his  hands  as  if  crushed  by  her  anger. 
When  she  had  finished,  he  lifted  it  again,  still  keeping 
his  hands  before  it;  but  the  fingers  had  spread  apart  to 
allow  the  eyes  to  peep  through  in  mockery.  For  by  the  time 
her  violence  had  expended  itself  and  her  speech  had  ended — 
she  realised  that  he  was  laughing  at  her  still.  She  had  only 
laid  herself  more  open  to  his  ridicule — oh,  it  was  bitter! 
She  could  have  struck  him  in  her  rage  but  all  she  could 
do  was  to  burst  into  tears.  Sinking  back  upon  the  seat, 
she  too  put  her  face  in  her  hands  and  sobbed.  In  her 
display,  there  was  no  pretence.  Alistair  abandoned  further 
dissimulation  and  sat  upright  again.  As  he  marked  the 
quivering  of  her  delicate,  shapely  shoulders  and  the  droop  of 
the  head  upon  the  white  neck,  his  heart  smote  him  for  a 
brute,  and  he  was  filled  with  a  queer  inclination  to  com- 
fort her.  However,  he  forced  himself  to  resist  it.  So 
long  as  she  was  in  no  actual  fear,  a  little  teasing  that 
would  humiliate  her  pride  would  be  a  salutary  corrective. 

"I  think  that  it  was  Socrates — was  it  not — who  consoled 
himself  with  the  reflection  under  slightly  different  circum- 
stances that  'after  thunder  there  usually  comes  the  rain?'  " 
— he  remarked  quietly  almost  as  if  to  himself  when  the 
violence  of  her  weeping  had  subsided.  "Yes,  poor  man, 
they  say  that  Xantippe  was  a  great  trial  to  him  but  that 
he  considered  her  shrewishness  as  a  discipline  which  was 
salutary.    We  are  not  all  as  philosophical  about  such  things 


254  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

as  he  was,  however.  For  myself,  I  must  confess,  feminine 
nagging  annoys  me.  Tears,  I  do  not  mind  so  much,  so 
cry  away.    It  will  relieve  your  mind  and  do  you  good." 

He  was  wiser  now  than  earlier  in  the  evening.  He 
guessed  that  to  tell  her  to  weep  would  have  the  effect  of 
stopping  her;  and,  in  spite  of  his  assumed  callousness,  he 
felt  that  he  would  be  glad  to  have  her  stop. 

"It  is  so  much  more  sensible  in  a  woman  to  weep  than 
to  faint,"  he  continued  in  the  same  monologue;  and  he 
fancied  now  that  she  was  peeping  at  him  through  her 
fingers  though  he  could  not  be  sure.  "Not  that  you  are 
yet  a  woman — you  are  merely  a  child  and  a  rather  naughty 
one  at  that  though  the  feminine  traits  come  out  in  the  child 
as  in  the  adult.  Now  supposing  that  you  had  decided  to 
faint — instead  of  merely  to  shed  tears,  it  would  have  been 
an  unpleasant  necessity  for  me  to  pour  water  on  you 
to  make  you  come  to;  and  how  distasteful  that  would 
have  been  to  both  of  us.  'T would  have  been  for  me  to  play 
Xantippe." 

She  jumped  from  her  seat  and  stamped  her  foot  on  the 
hard  floor  of  the  car.  It  was  a  very  tiny  foot  and  mis- 
erably ineffective  for  the  purpose. 

"Will  you  cease  talking  or  must  I  put  my  hands  to  my 
ears  ?"  she  pleaded  in  desperation. 

"Do  you  think  that  you  are  sufficiently  punished?"  he 
asked  in  a  different  tone,  looking  up  at  her  now. 

"What  do  you  mean  ?" 

"This  firework  business,  you  know — it's  quite  un-called- 
for  at  a  time  like  this  when  we  have  serious  business  before 
us,  so  serious  that  we  shall  need  all  our  wits  to  bring  it 
through  successfully.  If  we  are  to  fritter  away  our  en- 
ergies at  the  start  we  may  as  well  give  up  now.  You  are 
angry  with  me  for  coming  after  you  told  me  not  to. 
Do  you  know  that  the  man  whose  place  I  bribed  him  to 
let  me  take  had  a  bottle  of  whisky  in  his  pocket  and  was 
already  well  on  in  liquor  when  I  found  him  here?  He 
wouldn't  have  been  a  very  pleasant  fellow-passenger  to 
have  on  board  in  such  times  as  this  when  the  conductor  is 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  255 

away  attending  to  his  business.  You  would  be  in  a  nice 
condition  to  deal  with  Stubbs  in  the  morning,  wouldn't  you 
if  you  spent  the  night  in  fear  of  annoyance  from  him?  I 
know  that  you  didn't  mean  all  you  said — you're  a  little 
over-wrought,  that  is  all " 

His  voice  was  kindly  now  and  she  looked  at  him  for  a 
moment  unable  to  speak.  The  turmoil  of  her  thoughts 
had  had  a  chance  to  settle  and  her  mind  was  calmer; 
and  she  realised  what  his  presence  had  saved  her  from. 
Remembering  the  fear  that  had  possessed  her,  the  terror  of 
those  moments  of  suspense,  she  was  grateful. 

"What  shall  I  say?"  she  asked  dropping  her  head  in  con- 
trition and  ashamed  to  look  him  in  the  eyes.  She  resented 
the  domination  that  he  exercised  over  her  but  mingled 
with  this  feeling  was  a  curious  resignation  to  it,  an  odd 
sense  of  satisfaction  in  her  abasement.  "I  should  have 
been  thanking  you  instead  of — instead  of  insulting  you." 

"Don't  say  anything;  it  isn't  necessary.  Suppose  we  go 
upstairs  into  the  lookout  gallery  and  have  a  peep  at  the 
moon.  She's  due  to  be  up  by  this  time  and  I  daresay  the 
view  will  be  worth  looking  at." 

"The  lookout  gallery,  what  is  that?"  she  asked  in  wonder 
and  glad  of  the  change  in  the  subject  which  he  had 
offered  her. 

"Don't  you  know  the  little  lookout  place  on  the  top 
of  the  caboose  from  which  the  trainman  can  sit  and  look 
all  over  his  train.  A  regular  observation  car  in  miniature, 
it  is.  I've  never  been  up  in  one;  but  I  noticed  them 
when  I  was  coming  West.  I  envied  the  freight  conductor 
his  luxurious  view-place  and  I  often  thought  I  would  like 
to  ride  in  it.  I  didn't  expect  so  soon  to  have  a  chance. 
Come  along." 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 

THEY  went  out  to  the  rear  and  climbed  up  the  little 
stair  at  the  side  that  led  to  the  gallery  above.  There 
were  two  single  seats,  one  behind  the  other,  on  each  side 
of  the  stairway  and  Lorraine  sat  down  in  the  front  one 
while  Alistair  sat  in  the  one  behind.  They  were  now 
passing  along  the  shores  of  Sicamous  Lake.  The  moon 
had  just  arisen  above  the  hill-tops  and  its  clear  luminous 
disc  was  brightly  reflected  in  the  water  and  cast  a  silvery 
sheen  over  its  smooth  surface  while  the  dark  outlines  of 
the  shores  and  along  the  skyline  showed  a  rich  blue  that 
was  almost  black.  Coming  from  the  gloom  of  the  interior 
of  the  caboose  to  this  scene  of  beauty  so  mystical  and  calm, 
the  girl  drew  a  deep  breath  of  wonder  and  for  a  time 
both  were  silent.  From  their  lofty  seat  they  looked  down 
upon  the  tops  of  the  long  line  of  cars  that  flitted  away 
in  front  of  them  now  almost  straight  and  again  curving 
to  conform  with  the  track  as  it  followed  the  shore.  At 
the  head,  the  engine  puffed  and  gasped  and  wheezed  like 
a  conscious  thing,  at  times  seeming  to  complain  vigorously 
over  the  weight  that  it  had  to  draw.  Around  them  the 
whole  earth  seemed  to  be  asleep  and  there  was  no  sign 
of  living  creature  or  habitation  of  man  save  for  the  ghostly 
procession  of  which  they  formed  a  part,  ghostly  in  all  except 
the  noise  made  by  the  bustling,  fussy  locomotive  at  its 
head.  They  were  all  alone  together  whirling  along  through 
a  sleeping  world  lying  bathed  in  silvery  moonlight  and  to 
the  girl  there  came  a  sense  of  tranquillity.  The  heat  and 
strife  of  the  scene  that  she  had  just  passed  through  seemed 
almost  unreal  to  her,  as  if  it  had  been  a  dream ;  and  the 
hate  and  suspicion  with  which  she  had  regarded  her  com- 
panion, these  too  seemed  extravagant  and  uncalled-for.  She 

256 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  257 

found  it  difficult  to  persuade  herself  that  she  could  have 
entertained  such  feelings  with  regard  to  Mr.  Kilgour. 

"Ah,  but  this  is  a  glorious  change,"  she  said  sniffing  the 
freshness  of  the  evening  breeze  with  its  faint  perfume. 
"That  stuffy  car  gave  me  the  blues*;"  and  she  shuddered. 

He  began  to  talk  lightly  to  reassure  her  and  distract 
her  mind  from  her  trouble.  Something  in  the  night's  magic 
had  entered  into  his  brain  too,  something  perhaps  in  his 
nearness  to  her  of  which  he  was  pleasantly  conscious;  and 
he  felt  all  at  once  the  impulse  to  be  sentimental. 

"How  sweet  the  moonlight  sleeps  upon  this  bank!"  he 
quoted  and  then  went  on  to  parody — 

'Here  will  we  sit,  and  let  the  sounds  of  the  engine's 

puffing 
Creep  in  our  ears :  soft  stillness  and  the  night 
Become  the  touches  of  sweet  harmony. 

Look  how  the  floor  of  heaven 

Is  thick  inlaid  with  patines  of  bright  gold.' 

It's  wonderful  how  he  could  just  hit  everything  off  so  that 
one  cannot  change  or  better  it." 

"Yes,  and  the  thought  at  the  end  of  the  passage  is  just 
the  universal  one  that  is  apt  to  come  to  us — isn't  it — on 
looking  on  a  scene  as  perfect  as  this?  We  contrast  the 
peace  and  serenity  of  the  stars  with  our  own  fevered  lives 
and  we  wonder  why  all  our  fret  and  worry.  To  be 
quite  concrete,"  and  smiling  she  turned  for  a  moment's 
glance  to  glean  courage  for  her  daring,  "to  be  quite  con- 
crete and  personal,  we  quarrel  in  the  caboose  and  miss 
the  harmony  of  the  spheres  that  is  going  on  above,  outside 
and 

'While  this  muddy  vesture  of  decay — 
Doth  grossly  close  it  in,  we  cannot  hear  it.'  " 

She  was  not  averse  to  showing  that  she  could  quote 
Shakespeare  as  well  as  he. 

"Hardly  quarrel,"  said  Alistair  doubtfully,  and  in  spite 
of  her  abject  surrender  he  could  not  resist  the  impulse  to 


258  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

brow-beat  the  vanquished.  His  triumph  was  sweet  and  the 
schoolmaster  in  him  was  strong.  "Is  'quarrel'  quite  the 
word  ?  Might  you  not  say  'scold  and  are  scolded  ?'  "  He 
found  a  certain  piquancy  and  thrill  in  her  indignation  and 
he  wanted  to  see  what  she  would  say. 

"Now  you  are  ungenerous,"  she  reproached.  "I  wanted 
you  to  share  the  blame  and  you  won't.  As  we  say  in  the 
West,  you  prefer  'to  rub  it  in.'  " 

"It  was  mean,"  he  admitted  in  quick  contrition.  "Only 
the  worst  kind  of  a  bounder  would  have  done  it — like 
hitting  a  man  when  he's  down." 

"I  had  forgotten  about  Xantippe  but  you  thrust  her  back 
upon  me,"  she  continued  pressing  her  advantage ;  and  her 
voice  had  the  plaintive  note  of  a  little  child  whose  trust 
has  been  outraged.  Her  face  was  turned  away  gazing  out 
upon  the  lake  so  that  he  only  had  her  little  ear  to  look 
at  and  that  seemed  to  have  a  severe  expression. 

"Oh,  now!"  he  exclaimed  distressfully.  Even  in  the 
moonlight  he  could  feel  the  hot  waves  flooding  to  his 
forehead.  Up  here  in  the  serenity  of  the  night  it  seemed 
an  awful  thing  to  have  said.  "I  had  forgotten  about  her 
too.  I  must  apologise  for  that,  I  really  must  with  the 
most  abject  grovelling.  It  was  an  unpardonable  thing  to 
say.    I  have  no  manners,  none  at  all." 

"Oh,  well,"  she  consoled.  "No  doubt,  Socrates  had  none 
either.  He  was  an  old  bear,  I  daresay  and  kept  the  dinner 
waiting  while  he  was  pondering  how  clever  he  was.  Don't 
you  think  that  maybe  Xantippe  had  a  good  deal  to  put  up 
with  and  the  deluge  that  he  got  was  just  what  he  deserved  ?" 

"No  doubt  he  was  a  solemn  old  fossil,"  he  said,  cheer- 
fully sacrificing  his  convictions  to  appease  her  wrath. 
"Xantippe  was  an  angel  of  light  and  sweetness  but  he 
couldn't  appreciate  her  because  of  his  egotism  and  conceit. 
Another  case  of  Jane  Welsh  and  Carlyle. 

"Seriously  though,"  he  went  on  dropping  all  trace  of 
levity  and  assuming  a  tone  of  intimacy  that  the  girl  did 
not  find  offensive.  "Hasn't  there  been  a  great  deal  of 
unnecessary  misunderstanding  between  us.    I  have  been  so 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  259 

willing  to  be  friendly  with  you  people  if  you  had  only 
met  me  even  a  quarter  way.  Now,  here's  Ted.  I  have 
tried  all  I  could  to  make  Ted  like  me.  I  know  the  fight 
that  he  has  been  making  to  keep  straight;  and  there  were 
times  I  did  think  that  I  was  gaining  ground  with  him.  Now 
here  he  comes  out  with  this  silly  story  of  me  trying  to 
get  him  into  trouble.  It's  all  an  absolute  figment  of  his 
fancy,  you  know ;  and  yet — and  yet "  he  hesitated. 

"And  yet  silly,  prejudiced  people  like  myself  are  apt  to 
take  it  for  true,  you  would  say,"  she  prompted. 

"Well,  perhaps  something  like  that,"  he  replied,  "though 
I  must  try  not  to  be  too  personal.  We  must  at  least  bury 
the  hatchet  for  the  trip  and  reserve  all  our  fighting  energies 
for  our  battle  with  Stubbs  who  for  the  time  must  take 
my  place  as  the  villain  of  the  piece." 

"Then  you  are  to  play  the  hero-errant,  I.  suppose,"  she 
mocked;  "I  congratulate  you  on  the  change  for  the  better 
in  your  role.  It  must  be  somewhat  bewildering  though,  the 
suddenness  of  it,  I  should  think." 

"Bewildering!"  he  exclaimed;  "it  makes  me  positively 
dizzy,  but  believe  me,  I  consider  that  the  honour  has  been 
thrust  upon  me.  I  hope  that  the  station  master  has  sense 
enough  to  keep  'a  still  tongue  in  his  head'  as  we  say  in 
Scotland.  It  will  be  just  as  well  for  the  Duck  Lake  com- 
munity not  to  be  informed  of  your  little  trip  to  Revel- 
stoke — at  least,  of  the  method  of  it." 

"I  do  not  worry  about  them,"  she  replied ;  "but  one  thing 
that  I  am  troubled  about  is  that  I  should  have  been  the 
means  of  making  Amy  annoyed  with  you  for  coming  with 
me.    She  likes  you,  at  least,  if  other  people  are  unkind." 

"I  was  sorry  about  it  too  but  I  think  that  she  was  un- 
reasonable, though  we  were  looking  forward  to  the  drive 
back  in  the  moonlight.  As  it  turned  out,  it  was  a  good 
thing  perhaps  that  she  gave  me  my  conge  for  the  evening 
or  I  should  have  been  on  the  horns  of  a  dilemma  with  her 
expecting  me  back.  However,  we  needn't  worry  about  that. 
I  hope  that  your  fiance,  your  cousin,  Olney  will  not  be 


260  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

annoyed.     However,  it  was  his  own  fault  for  not  coming 
along." 

"My  fiance!  Oh,  Olney  is  not  my  fiance.  What  made 
you  think  that?" 

"I  beg  your  pardon.  I  thought  that  it  was  an  under- 
stood thing.  One  often  takes  things  for  granted  without 
adequate  reason." 

They  were  both  silent  for  a  time,  but  their  thoughts  were 
busy  for  their  minds  had  some  readjusting  to  do  in  their 
mutual  estimates.  Lorraine  had  thought  that  he  and  her 
friend,  Miss  Pelton,  were  likely  to  make  a  match  of  it; 
but  his  manner  in  regard  to  the  little  disagreement  between 
them  was  hardly  in  accord  with  such  an  idea,  or  at  least  it 
would  appear  from  it  that  his  affections  were  not  as  yet 
very  deeply  engaged.  He  did  not  strike  her  as  being 
one  who  would  be  readily  susceptible  to  female  blandish- 
ments and  she  reflected  that  her  friend  had  acted  unwisely 
in  treating  him  so  cavalierly  that  night,  that  is,  if  she  was 
beginning  to  be  fond  of  him  as  had  appeared  to  Lorraine 
to  be  the  case. 

Alistair  could  not  help  comparing  the  two  girls  in  his 
mind  and  he  was  forced  to  admit  to  himself  that  he  could 
not  conceive  of  this  one  acting  so  childishly  and  selfishly 
as  Miss  Pelton  had  done  when  a  friend  was  in  trouble. 
However  quick-tempered  and  vixenish  she  might  be,  he 
judged  that  she  would  be  sincere  in  her  friendships,  judged 
it  from  her  devotion  to  her  father  and  her  brother  if  by 
nothing  else. 

The  mystic  splendours  of  the  night  were  conducive  to 
dreams  and  neither  felt  much  inclined  to  talk.  They  ex- 
perienced a  pleasant  sense  of  serenity,  of  contentment 
with  the  situation  which  speech  might  dispel.  It  was  the 
calm  after  the  storm  with  the  girl  at  least ;  for  in  the  past 
hour  or  two  her  emotions  had  run  the  gamut  of  fear  and 
despair  and  the  reaction  had  brought  with  it  a  pleasing 
sense  of  relaxation. 

The  scenery  before  them  was  changing  its  aspects  not 
so  swiftly  but  subtly  with  the  effect  at  times  like  that 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  261 

one  has  seen  at  a  dissolving  diorama  where  one  picture 
fades  away  leaving  another  in  its  place.  The  moon  pass- 
ing through  the  clouds  that  lay  in  her  path  made  of  the  sky 
a  fantastic  sea  in  which  floated  mysterious  islands  that 
glowed  and  became  transfigured  by  her  silver  splendours, 
with  here  and  there  the  very  faintest  possible  shore-lights 
made  by  pallid  stars  that  hardly  dared  to  twinkle  in  the 
fulness  of  her  beams. 

Then  they  left  the  lake  behind  them  and  could  look 
back  at  it  over  the  shoulder  of  a  wooded  hill  along  the 
side  of  which,  they  passed;  and  now  they  were  gliding 
through  wooded  parklands  of  dark  pines,  the  forms  of 
which  stood  out  strangely  dark  and  unyielding  in  the  soft 
light,  then  again  into  barren  range  where  cattle  lay  asleep 
or  moved  around  like  ghostly  figures.  Here  and  there  was 
an  occasional  farmhouse  or  rough  log  cabin  or  a  giant 
haystack  lifting  its  massive  bulk  like  some  mammoth  of 
prehistoric  times. 

At  a  little  wayside  station,  their  reveries  were  interrupted 
by  the  appearance  of  the  conductor  who  climbed  up  be- 
side them  as  they  pulled  into  it. 

"It's  against  the  rules  for  either  of  you  to  ride  up 
here,  you  know,"  he  said  gruffly,  addressing  himself  to  both 
of  them.  "Clean  against  Company  regulations  and  I  can't 
have  it.  You'll  have  to  get  down.  We're  taking  on  a 
'pusher'  here." 

"Oh,  don't  put  us  down,  Mr.  Conductor,  not  for  a  while 
at  least,"  said  the  girl  impulsively.  "It's  so  stuffy  inside 
and  it  is  such  a  lovely  night.  You  couldn't  have  it  in 
your  heart  to  send  us  down  yet." 

The  man  looked  at  Alistair  doubtfully — suspiciously. 
"Seems  to  me,  you  ain't  the  chap  that  I  saw  at  Garston 
who  was  to  go  with  them  horses.  He  had  a  beard,  that 
fellow,  and  looked  a  bit  thicker  than  you  are.  There's 
somethin'  kind  o'  funny  here,  I'm  afraid.  I  think  anyway 
that  you'll  better  ride  down  below  and  the  young  lady  can 
stay  up  if  she  wants." 

Alistair  guessed  what  was  passing  in  his  mind.     The 


262  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

honest  fellow  was  trying  to  look  after  the  girl  and  he  did 
not  like  the  looks  of  things.  It  were  best,  however,  to 
try  to  disabuse  him  of  his  suspicions. 

"As  it  happens,  I  know  this  young  lady  and  her  people 
very  well  and  that  is  why  we  are  sitting  together.  You 
need  have  no  misgivings  as  to  my  annoying  her  in  any  way. 
Here  is  my  card ;"  and  Alistair,  taking  out  his  pocket-book, 
abstracted  his  calling  card  and  presented  it  with  due  solem- 
nity to  the  conductor. 

"Alas,  no,  comrade,"  he  said,  ''cut  out  the  grandstand  play 
and  keep  your  pasteboard  in  your  pocket.  This  ain't  no 
passenger  an'  we  don't  take  no  tickets  on  this  train,  anyway 
you  can't  buy  one  to  ride  in  this  observation  car,  see.  I 
ain't  goin'  to  have  no  sparking  here  so  you'll  better  just  climb 
down,  an'  don't  waste  no  time  about  it." 

"Indeed,  the  gentleman  is  a  friend  of  mine,"  Lorraine 
broke  in,  "and  please  don't  send  him  down,  Mr.  Conductor." 

"If  he's  a  friend  of  yours,  miss,  it  makes  no  difference; 
an'  if  I  had  known  that  there  were  friends  of  yours  aboard 
you  wouldn't  have  been  ridin'  on  this  train  to  Revelstoke. 
You  didn't  tell  me  nothin'  about  him  when  you  asked  me, 
did  you?" 

"I  assure  you,  conductor "  Alistair  protested  an- 
noyed that  the  man  should  be  putting  a  false  construction  on 
his  presence  there  and  eager  to  disabuse  his  mind  of  its 
mistake;  but  the  other  broke  in  upon  him  with  an  air  of 
sternness  that  would  brook  no  parley. 

"Now,  young  fellow,  just  you  cut  off  the  hot  air  will 
you  an'  git  down  below ;  or  you'll  maybe  find  that  I'm  a  bit 
hasty  at  times  an'  might  just  accidentally  put  you  down 
in  a  wray  that  wouldn't  be  just  comfortable,  see!"  and  he 
leaned  over  in  a  threatening  manner  that  warned  Alistair 
that  he  was  liable  to  be  as  good  as  his  word. 

It  was  an  embarrassing  and  humiliating  position.  The 
man  was,  no  doubt,  from  his  own  standpoint  perfectly 
right  and  he  was  master  of  the  situation.  As  far  as  he  was 
concerned,  it  was  quite  irregular  both  as  regards  his  as- 
sumed guardianship  of  Lorraine  and  as  to  his  presence  on 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  263 

the  train  at  all.  He  had  no  qualms  of  doubt  as  to  the 
actual  propriety  of  his  course  in  coming  with  the  girl ; 
but  to  justify  it  to  a  scandal-loving  Mrs.  Grundy,  who  for 
the  present  was  represented  by  this  well-meaning  con- 
ductor, was  a  different  thing  altogether.  Lorraine  had 
turned  her  face  towards  the  engine  completely  subdued  by 
the  innuendo  of  the  man's  speech  to  her. 

When  Alistair  had  gone  below,  which  he  did  without 
speaking  to  her,  for  he  could  think  of  nothing  suitable 
to  say,  the  conductor  took  the  seat  opposite. 

"We  take  on  a  'pusher'  here,  miss,"  he  said;  "see  her 
coming  up  behind  there.  This  Notch  Hill  we're  comin'  to 
is  a  mighty  steep  pull  and  we  have  to  get  help  to  get  up. 
She  rises  about  five  hundred  feet  in  ten  miles  and  that's 
some  climb,  that  is,  believe  me." 

She  looked  behind  where  he  pointed  and  saw  a  big 
engine  coming  up  behind.  Their  train  had  come  to  a  stand- 
still and  one  of  the  brakemen  was  walking  alone  behind 
ready  to  adjust  the  coupling,  which  was  soon  done,  the  big 
engine  putting  its  head  in  behind  their  train  as  a  circus 
elephant  is  trained  to  push  the  big  caravans  in  time  of 
need.  Then  away  the  train  started  again  up  the  steep  in- 
cline that  was  before  them,  both  engines  puffing  away  ster- 
torously  with  the  strain.  Up  and  tip  they  went,  by-and- 
bye  looking  down  over  magical  vistas  of  mountain  and 
lake  glowing  in  azure  and  silver  under  the  moonbeams ;  but 
although  the  scenery  was  just  as  splendid,  the  charm  of 
the  night  was  broken  and  Lorraine  was  glad  in  a  short 
while  to  tell  the  conductor  that  she  was  tired  and  would 
go  below.    He  followed  her  down  the  ladder  and  inside. 

Mr.  Kilgour  was  sitting  on  the  bench  and  smiled  to  her 
as  she  entered. 

"Tired?"  he  questioned,  rising  to  allow  her  to  pass  him. 

"A  little,"  she  answered  smiling  back  at  him. 

"You  had  better  lie  down,"  he  said,  still  standing  in  the 
middle  of  the  aisle,  so  that  the  conductor,  following  in  her 
rear,  was  unable  to  pass,  and  stood  looking  a  little  nonplussed. 

She  lay  down  obediently  on  the  leather  cushion. 


264  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

"You  need  not  be  afraid  to  go  to  sleep,"  he  said ;  "for  I 
shall  be  awake  here  all  night  and  shall  call  you  at  Revel- 
stoke.  You  will  guarantee  that  she  will  be  safe  from  annoy- 
ance, won't  you,  conductor  ?"  he  asked  of  that  worthy  with 
great  suavity,  overlooking  the  little  unpleasantness  that  had 
passed.  His  manner  had  the  easy  condescension  of  one 
who  has  the  right  to  command  but  prefers  to  request  a 
favour.  The  man  resented  the  other's  taking  the  upper 
hand  in  this  way  but  Alistair's  smile  was  so  winning  and 
confident  and  his  manner  so  easy  that  he  found  himself 
unable  to  gainsay  him  especially  with  the  girl  there  to 
hear.  So  he  merely  answered,  "By  all  means,"  although 
in  a  tone  of  gruffness  that  betrayed  his  annoyance,  and 
taking  off  the  lid  of  his  little  stove  began  to  put  coal  into 
it  with  a  great  deal  of  unnecessary  clatter. 

Alistair,  meanwhile,  went  over  and  sat  at  the  other  end  of 
the  car  and,  folding  his  arms,  settled  down  for  his  long 
vigil  surrendering  himself  to  musings,  a  curious  mingling 
of  the  varied  events  of  the  day.  Strange  to  say,  perhaps, 
he  found  them  sweet,  and  in  spite  of  fatigue  and  discomfort, 
for  his  seat  was  hard  and  the  car  where  he  sat  was  chilly 
and  draughty,  he  was  conscious  of  a  certain  elation,  a 
certain  thrill  that  was  difficult  to  account  for  or  to  analyse. 
Nor  had  the  long  weary  hours  of  the  night  in  which  he  did 
not  even  trust  himself  to  doze,  nor  the  stiffness  of  his 
limbs,  nor  the  raw  humours  of  the  morning  air,  filled  with 
coal  dust  and  smelling  of  oils  and  grease,  entirely  dis- 
pelled the  feeling  when  the  train,  slowly  and  with  innum- 
erable joltings  and  groanings,  drew  into  Revelstoke  as  the 
first  beams  of  dawn  were  streaking  the  sky  and  tipping 
with  grey  the  lofty  hills  that  encircled  the  little  town. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII 

IT  was  not  a  very  jaunty  couple  that  alighted  from  the 
caboose  and  picked  their  way  in  the  morning  half-light 
over  the  network  of  rails  towards  the  nearest  street  end. 
Lorraine,  however,  was  the  fresher  of  the  two  for  she 
had  slept  the  latter  part  of  the  night  although  her  slumber 
had  been  troubled  by  unpleasant  dreams.  Her  bones  ached 
from  the  hardness  of  her  couch  with  its  stiff  leather  cushion. 

"Do  I  look  as  disreputable  as  I  feel?"  she  said  smiling 
at  Alistair  but  somewhat  ruefully.  "It  is  a  weird  time  of 
day  to  arrive.  Why  couldn't  we  have  had  the  moonlight 
still?  It  casts  such  a  glamour  over  the  ugliness  and  hides 
all  the  deficiencies.  Last  night  I  felt  like  Joan  of  Arc  and 
could  have  faced  armies  with  a  good  courage ;  this  morning 
I   feel  as  shifty  and  shamefaced  as  a  tramp  but  with  a 

conscience "  she  paused  for  words  proportionate  to  her 

resentment  against  its  activity — "a  regular  busybody  of  a 
conscience  that's  impossible  to  live  with  and  I  believe  I 
would  flee  before  a  rabbit  if  it  shook  its  ears  at  me." 

"You  look  all  right  anyway,"  said  Alistair  approvingly 
as  he  scanned  her  trim  figure  in  the  neat,  grey  tailor-made 
skirt  and  jacket.  "Quite  proper  and  respectable.  I  wish 
I  could  say  the  same  about  myself,"  and  he  rubbed  an  un- 
shaven chin  that  had  lost  its  smoothness.  "I  am  the 
tramp  of  the  party;  but  I  shall  feel  better  when  the  bar- 
bers are  open.  It  is  an  awkward  time  though  for  us 
to  be  landed  here.  We  can  hardly  make  our  appearance 
at  the  hotel  at  this  hour."  He  pulled  out  his  watch.  "It 
is  now  half  past  five  and  I  found  out  from  the  conductor 
that  there  is  a  train  from  the  East  comes  in  at  seven.  I 
think  we  had  better  be  there  when  she  arrives;  and  you 
can  board  the  hotel  bus  and  go  down  in  state  that  way  while 
I  shall  come  along  humbly  on  foot." 

265 


266  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

"Why  can't  you  come  in  the  bus  too?"  she  asked.  "I 
do  not  want  to  disown  you  even  if  you  do  look  rather — 
what  shall  I  say — tough?" 

"  Tough'  is  the  word,"  he  replied ;  "but  all  the  same  I 
think  that  I  shall  walk.  The  'convenances'  to  use  the  French 
word  must  be  respected  at  all  costs.  Mrs.  Grundy,  you 
know" — he  added  seeing  she  looked  slightly  puzzled;  "the 
good  lady  is  everywhere,  and  wherever  we  may  be  we 
cannot  ignore  her." 

"Oh,  I  see,"  she  said  hastily,  blushing  rosy  even  in  spite 
of  the  raw  morning  air  and  casting  her  eyes  downward  in 
confusion. 

During  the  night  watches  she  had,  indeed,  had  time  to 
reflect  on  the  impropriety  of  her  conduct  as  it  would  be 
viewed  by  her  neighbours  and  friends  at  Duck  Lake  should 
they  ever  hear  about  it;  but  it  had  not  occurred  to  her  as 
necessary  to  consider  with  any  particular  anxiety  the  people 
of  Revelstoke  who  were  strangers  to  her. 

Alistair  noticed  her  confusion  and  was  wroth  with  him- 
self for  being  the  cause  of  it.  He  hastened  to  divert  her 
mind  in  a  different  direction. 

"The  first  thing  to  do  is  to  get  some  breakfast  and  I 
see  a  restaurant  there  in  the  very  first  corner.  'Good  Eats,' 
it  says,  which  is  hardly  classic  English ;  but  one  is  not  in  a 
mood  to  be  fastidious  about  names  just  now.  What  do 
you  say?" 

"I  am  not  very  hungry,"  she  said;  "but  it  will  help 
to  pass  the  time  and  perhaps  they  will  be  able  to  let  us  have 
a  wash.     That  would  be  refreshing." 

It  lay  at  the  end  of  a  long  street  of  one  and  two-story 
buildings  which  looked  very  deserted  with  only  here  and 
there  an  odd  pedestrian  hurrying  along.  Passing  within 
they  sat  down  at  one  of  the  tables  that  were  ranged  on 
each  side  of  the  dingy  room,  except  in  the  front  where, 
on  the  left,  a  Chinaman  stood  behind  a  short  counter  on 
which  was  a  cash  register  and  a  showcase  containing  cigars 
and  cigarettes.     Two  customers  in  trainmen's  uniform  were 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  267 

having  breakfast  and  they  were  relieved  to  find  the  place 
so  quiet. 

"I'm  afraid  that  it  is  hopeless  to  think  of  a  wash  here," 
said  Alistair,  looking  at  the  dirty  tablecloths  and  fly-blown 
bill  of  fare.  "You  could  never  take  chances  on  the  towels. 
What  are  you  going  to  have  ?" 

"Bacon  and  eggs  look  the  safest,"  she  replied  after  scan- 
ning the  menu;  "boiled  eggs  would  be  better  if  one  could 
count  upon  them  being  fresh." 

"Bacon  and  eggs  then  be  it,"  said  Alistair;  and  he 
gave  the  order  to  a  girl  who  had  appeared  from  the  back 
regions.  She  was  a  fresh-looking,  apple-cheeked  lass  a 
year  or  two  younger  than  Lorraine  and  she  was  plainly 
much  interested  in  these  two  customers  who  had  come  in 
so  early  in  the  morning  and  who  were  so  different  from  the 
ordinary  run  of  those  who  attended  the  little  cafe.  Clearly 
she  scented  a  romance,  a  runaway  match  at  the  very  least, 
for  it  was  plain  even  to  her  inexperienced  eyes  that  here 
were  no  ordinary  married  folks  who  had  been  some  time 
settled  down.  As  she  set  knives  and  forks  before  them, 
she  took  time  to  glance  at  Lorraine's  hands  and  noted 
with  interest  that  they  were  ringless  except  for  a  bright 
ruby  on  the  middle  finger  of  the  right  hand  which  was  no 
place  for  an  engagement  ring  and  it  was  clearly  not  a 
wedding  ring. 

"Would  you  like  to  go  behind  and  'ave  a  wash,  miss," 
she  said  in  a  soft  Yorkshire  accent,  her  face  mantling" 
into  a  dimpled  smile.  "We've  got  lots  of  'ot  water,  we  'ave 
and  you'll  be  welcome." 

"Yes,  I  should  like  to  wash  the  soot  out  of  my  eyes," 
said  Lorraine;  and  she  followed  the  little  waitress  out 
into  the  kitchen  behind.  A  Chinaman  was  busy  before  a 
huge  range  on  which  several  frying-pans  were  sizzling  and 
the  smell  that  came  from  them  was  appetising  enough.  He 
paid  no  attention  to  Lorraine  and  her  conductress,  and  the 
girl,  taking  a  tin  basin  from  a  bench,  washed  it  carefully 
under  a  tap  and  then  poured  into  it  some  hot  water  which 
she  took  from  a  big  boiler  at  the  side  of  the  range. 


268  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

She  stood  admiring  Lorraine  as  the  latter  took  off  her 
cap  shaking  down  her  fair,  ruddy  hair  and  tucked  up  her 
sleeves  showing  a  pair  of  white  arms  very  different  from 
her  own  that  were  reddened  by  hard  work  and  dishwater. 

"Gee,  but  you  are  a  good  looker!"  she  exclaimed.  "I'll 
bet  you've  run  away  with  the  young  gent.  Say,  I'll  bet 
that  he's  a  toff,  too,  'e  is.  Right  from  the  oold  country  too, 
ain't  he?  I've  bin  out  joost  two  years  but  I  knows  my 
way  around  now,  I  do.  Oh,  I  ain't  as  green  as  you  might 
think  just  to  look  at  me.  A  lass  learns  a  lot  around  a 
joint  like  this." 

"You  ain't  got  no  weddin'  ring  yet,"  she  rattled  on  as 
Lorraine,  not  liking  the  drift  of  her  remarks,  began  to  dry 
her  face  and  hands  as  quickly  as  she  could  in  order  to  put 
an  end  to  the  involuntary  tete-a-tete  as  soon  as  possible. 
"They  wouldn't  catch  me  goin'  off  without  one ;  no  matter 
'ow  'andsome  and  rich  they  might  be.  Oh,  no,  I  know  too 
much  for  that  even  if  I  am  just  a  young  'un. 

"Say,  miss,  now  I  didn't  mean  for  to  offend  you  nohow — 

my,  she's  gone "  she  ejaculated  as  Lorraine,  the  tell-tale 

blood  flushing  up  into  her  cheeks,  betraying  her  agitation, 
after  hastily  putting  her  hair  to  rights  before  the  cracked 
and  distorted  little  mirror  hanging  on  the  wall,  and  pinning 
on  her  hat,  had  dashed  rapidly  through  the  swing  door 
back  to  the  restaurant. 

As  she  approached  him,  Alistair  saw  that  something  was 
the  matter  and  he  had  a  shrewd  guess  as  to  what  it  might 
be. 

"I  must  leave  this  place  at  once,"  she  said ;  "and  I  shall 
go  to  the  hotel.     Do  not  ask  me  why.     That  girl — that 

girl "  and  she  stopped,  unable  to  give  expression  to  what 

had  taken  place  and  ashamed  to  have  him  know.  She  was 
trembling  all  over  as  she  stood  beside  the  table  and  Alistair 
was  at  the  extremity  of  his  wits  to  know  what  to  do  or 
say  to  calm  her  agitation.  He  was  not  going  to  have  her 
run  out  into  the  street  in  such  a  condition  and  without 
having  had  anything  to  eat  if  he  could  help  it. 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  269 

If  the  situation  was  embarrassing  it  was  not  to  be  helped 
by  getting  hysterical  about  it. 

"Never  mind  the  girl,''  he  said.  "She's  only  a  waitress,  a 
servant,  and  does  not  matter.  You  ought  to  know  better 
than  to  take  any  notice  of  what  she  says." 

"She  has  insulted  me — dreadfully — you  cannot  imagine 

how " 

"It  does  not  matter  at  all,  child ;  sit  down  and  eat  your 
breakfast.  You  have  ordered  it  now  and  you  must  eat  it. 
We  shall  discuss  as  we  eat.  With  the  Anglo-Saxon,  meals 
are  a  sacred  ceremony.  Everyone  is  a  sacrament  and  must 
be  rigidly  observed  even  though  the  heavens  fall." 

"Do  not  talk  nonsense,  please,  for  this  is  a  serious  matter. 
And  do  not  call  me  child,  either." 

"I  beg  your  pardon,  Miss  De  Roche;  but  sit  down  or 
you  will  draw  everybody's  attention  to  us.  These  men  be- 
hind are  just  beginning  to  wonder  what  is  the  matter." 

She  sat  down  at  his  bidding  and  then  the  girl  appeared 
with  a  trayful  of  dishes  containing  their  breakfast  which 
with  a  conscious  mien  she  placed  before  them. 

"This  habit  of  eating  meals,"  Alistair  went  on  talking 
nonsense  to  help  Lorraine  to  recover  herself,  "is  clearly 
what  differentiates  man  from  the  brutes.  Without  forks 
and  finger-bowls,  what  is  he  but  an  animal?" 

She  raised  her  eyes  to  meet  his  and  under  his  quizzical 
smile  her  own  face  cleared  and  she  began  to  get  back 
her  poise.  What  a  goose  she  had  been  so  to  lose  control 
of  herself.  He  would  think  her  a  silly  schoolgirl.  It  was 
necessary  to  vindicate  herself.       "Don't   you  think   it   is 

perhaps  these  things  that  prove  him  still  an  animal " 

she  said  picking  up  his  cue  and  conscious  of  the  girl  slyly 
watching  her,  "all  the  refinement  invented  to  prolong  the 
pleasures  of  eating  which  after  all  surely  belong  to  the 
mere  animal  passions.  The  godlike  qualities  of  man  should 
enable  him  to  be  above  such  indulgence  and  he  should  be 
content  to  live  on  rice  or  some  simple  food  that  would 
keep  the  fires  of  life  going  just  as  well  and  leave  his  mind 
clear  for  high  thinking.     Your  ancestors  used  to  do  it  by 


270  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

all  reports,"  she  twitted  mischievously,  although  a  little 
surprised  at  her  own  daring,  "when  they  lived  on  nothing 
but  oatmeal  brose ;  but  now,  alas,  they  have  come  down 
in  the  scale,  at  least  if  you  are  a  fair  sample." 

"Not  at  all,"  he  countered  as  he  helped  her  to  some 
bacon  and  eggs.  "You  are  quite  mistaken  there;  that  is 
a  barbarous  Western  notion  which  is  excusable  enough, 
I  suppose,  to  people  who  have  never  had  a  chance  to  study 
the  art  of  the  epicure,  for  it  is  an  art.  What  is  it  that 
Stevenson  says  about  the  fine  perceptions  required  to  ap- 
preciate the  taste  of  an  olive? — I  have  forgotten  but  it  is 
very  pat  to  support  my  argument." 

"Trust  a  Scot  to  be  able  to  quote  another  Scot  at  all 
times  and  seasons  to  support  him  in  a  heresy.  However, 
if  all  your  argument  is  designed  merely  as  an  excuse  for  a 
good  appetite,  I  shall  forgive  you.  I  wish  that  the  cook 
here  was  a  better  professor  of  his  art;  this  mess  is  so  very 
greasy.    The  coffee  is  good  though." 

"I'm  sorry  that  you  don't  appear  to  be  eating  anything," 
he  said  solicitously.  "You  will  want  all  your  strength  and 
you  might  as  well  try  to  take  a  good  breakfast." 

She  had  recovered  her  composure  again  and  they  finished 
their  meal  quietly,  neither  saying  much.  After  they  had 
prolonged  their  sitting  as  long  as  they  felt  they  dared, 
they  went  out  and  walked  around  the  street  until  it  was 
within  half  an  hour  of  train  time  when  they  went  back  to 
the  railway  station. 

The  Eastern  train  came  in  at  last  and  Lorraine  got  into 
the  hotel  bus  and  was  soon  signing  her  name  in  the  register 
at  the  hotel  office.  The  second  name  above  hers  was  "T. 
Stubbs,  Calgary,"  and  the  sight  gave  her  a  thrill  of  satis- 
faction. 

It  was  an  hour  and  a  half  later  when  they  got  to 
speech  with  the  great  man.  Meanwhile  Lorraine  had  had 
a  rest  in  her  room  and  Alistair,  after  bribing  a  bell-boy  to 
keep  him  informed  of  Stubbs'  movements,  had  hunted  up 
the  hotel  barber  and  persuaded  him  to  give  him  a  shave. 
They  had  thought  it  best  to  let  the  cattle  dealer  have  his 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  271 

breakfast  in  peace  before  tackling  him,  thinking  that   he 
would  thus  be  in  a  better  frame  of  mind. 

The  dining-room  door  opened  out  to  the  hall  way  op- 
posite the  lounge  room  and  an  hour  or  so  later  Mr.  Stubbs 
fell  an  easy  prey  to  his  pursuers,  who  had  posted  themselves 
in  a  couple  of  big  easy  chairs  from  whence  they  had  been 
able  to  command  a  good  view  of  all  who  issued  from  the 
dining-room.  He  had  a  toothpick  in  his  hand  and  stared 
insolently  at  them  when  Alistair  asked  for  the  favour  of 
a  few  words.  He  was  a  short  man  but  stout  and  broad 
with  a  strong,  protruding  chin  clean  shaven,  and  full,  sensual 
lips  surmounted  by  a  bristling,  yellow  moustache.  His  nose 
and  ears  were  large  and  the  whole  effect  was  rather  master- 
ful and  dominating. 

"You  want  to  speak  to  me,  eh?  Why,  it  seems  that  I 
have  seen  you  before,  haven't  I  ?"  and  he  looked  question- 
ingly  from  one  to  the  other  under  bushy,  yellow  eyebrows 
that  imparted  an  air  of  fierceness  to  his  glance.  "Well,  let 
us  go  and  sit  down  in  the  corner  here?"  and  he  led  them 
over  where  there  was  a  more  private  place  behind  a  large 
pillar.  Motioning  the  girl  to  be  seated  on  a  large  settee,  he 
sat  down  beside  her  while  Alistair  took  an  easy  chair  op- 
posite. 

"I  know  now  where  I  saw  you,"  he  said,  chewing  his 
toothpick ;  "it  was  at  the  Rexham  races  yesterday  afternoon. 
Some  people,  miss,  once  you  see  them,  you  don't  forget  them 
in  a  hurry;"  and  he  grinned  with  appreciation  of  his  own 
gallantry.  "Now  then,  if  you  will  tell  me  what  I  can 
do  for  you?"  and  he  turned  again  to  Alistair  who  had 
been  waiting  his  chance. 

Lorraine  had  arranged  with  the  latter  that  he  should 
speak  first  and  explain  the  situation  and  then  if  necessary 
she  would  follow  up  his  appeal. 

Very  quietly  and  deliberately  Alistair  explained  the  whole 
matter;  and  how  they  hoped  that  he  would  take  back  his 
money  and  let  them  have  Pronto  since  the  horse  had  not 
been  Ted's  to  sell.  The  boy  would  never  have  done  such 
a  thins:  had  he  not  been  under  the  influence  of  drink  at 


272  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

the  time.  He  was  not  a  bad  boy,  but  weak,  Alistair  assured 
him,  and  no  one  would  be  sorrier  than  he  when  he  came 
back  to  his  senses  and  found  what  he  had  done.  The 
horse  had  been  a  gift  from  Lorraine's  father  and  she  was 
greatly  attached  to  it  and  it  would  be  a  shame  for  her  to 
lose  it  in  this  way. 

Stubbs  heard  him  to  the  end  without  interrupting,  gazing 
steadily  at  him  under  the  thick  eyelashes  and  twirling  the 
wooden  toothpick  between  his  heavy  lips  in  a  most  dis- 
tracting fashion. 

"So  that's  the  proposition  is  it?"  he  said  laughing  sardon- 
ically, "that's  what  you've  followed  me  all  this  distance 
to  tell  me :  a  pretty  wild  goose  chase  it  seems  to  me.  You 
must  think  that  Tom  Stubbs  is  a  soft  mark  that  he's  going 
to  swallow  a  tale  like  that  and  just  on  your  say-so  let  you 
have  back  the  beast  that  he's  paid  his  good  money  for.  No, 
no,  the  horse  suits  me  and  I'm  going  to  keep  him.  I  paid 
all  he's  worth  but  when  I  want  a  thing,  price  doesn't  matter 
so  much.     See !" 

"What  Mr.  Kilgour  says  is  quite  true,"  protested  Lor- 
raine, indignation  mastering  her  timidity.  "He  is  my  horse 
and  Ted  had  no  right  to  sell  him  to  you.  All  we  want  is  that 
you  should  take  back  your  money  and  let  me  have  Pronto 
back.  You  have  plenty  of  horses  and  it  shouldn't  make 
much  difference  to  you.  If  you  had  a  pet  horse,  you 
wouldn't  like  to  lose  him,  would  you?" 

"What  I  would  like  or  would  not  like  is  not  the  question, 
miss,"  he  replied.  "If  your  brother  had  not  the  right  to 
sell  the  beast  then  if  you  want  to  take  him  away  on  that 
ground,  I  must  look  to  him ;  and  let  me  tell  you,  it's  a 
serious  business  to  sell  what  doesn't  belong  to  you.  So 
you  can  take  that  line  if  you  like.  It's  all  right  if  you 
don't  mind  what  happens  to  Ted.  All  I  know  is  that  he's 
got  my  five  hundred  dollars  and  I've  got  the  horse;  and 
I'll  keep  the  horse  or  know  the  reason  why." 

He  laughed  again,  a  dry  laugh  that  had  no  real  mirth 
in  it,  a  laugh  that  held  a  menace  and  fell  on  the  ears  of 
Lorraine  hard  and  pitiless.    Her  heart  sank  and  she  turned 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  273 

away  her  head  to  hide  her  discomposure.  She  had  been 
foolish  to  come  and  Mr.  Kilgour's  advice  had  been  good 
advice.  Her  mind  felt  numbed  by  her  anxiety  and  for  the 
moment  she  was  reviewing  the  past  twelve  hours  and  had 
forgotten  the  present.  It  came  back,  however,  and  she 
realised  that  Mr.  Kilgour  was  speaking.  He  was  offering 
Stubbs,  the  hateful,  a  cigar  and  was  laughing  with  him  in- 
stead of  being  angry.  He  had  lit  a  match  and  was  light- 
ing his  cigar  for  him  and  was  now  with  great  deliberation 
cutting  the  end  of  his  own. 

"You  are  perfectly  within  your  rights,  Mr.  Stubbs,"  he 
said  when  all  the  business  of  getting  lighted  up  was  finished 
with.  "Miss  De  Roche  knows  that  very  well ;  and  it  is  the 
last  thing  in  her  mind  that  she  has  any  right  to  ask  you 
for  your  horse  back  again.  The  horse  is  most  certainly 
yours  by  right  of  possession  which,  as  we  lawyers  say — I'm 
one  of  that  much  maligned  class,  Mr.  Stubbs,  though  you 
might  not  think  it  to  look  at  me — is  nine  points  of  the  law. 
The  tenth  is  with  you  also ;  and  it  lies  in  the  fact  that  if 
the  young  lady  should  claim  that  the  sale  her  brother  made 
is  null  and  void  because  he  had  actually  no  title  to  sell,  she 
incriminates  him,  which,  as  a  good  sister,  she  could  never  do. 
That's  the  position  exactly,  isn't  it?" 

"Exactly,"  replied  Mr.  Stubbs  nodding  his  head  vigor- 
ously. "In  other  words  I  hold  cards  and  spades  and  big  and 
little  casino  and  you  folks  haven't  got  a  look-in." 

"That's  just  about  the  way  of  it,"  said  Alistair;  "and  the 
sooner  Miss  De  Roche  and  I  get  on  our  way  back  home, 
the  better.  I  told  her,  you  know  that  it  was  no  use  her 
coming  but  she  would  come.  Rode  in  that  dirty,  draughty 
caboose  all  night — pretty  plucky  thing  for  a  girl  to  do  but 
foolish  all  the  same.  Said  she  wouldn't  leave  the  horse.  I 
told  her  it  was  nonsense  but  it  didn't  make  any  difference. 
She  felt  sure  that  you  would  be  generous  in  the  matter  in 
spite  of  the  fact  that  you  had  all  the  rights  on  your  side." 

Mr.  Stubbs  puffed  away  at  his  cigar*,  big  strong  puffs  at 
regular  intervals  that  threw  out  heavy  clouds  of  smoke. 


274  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

Sometimes  it  would  form  in  rings  and  he  would  watch 
them  curl  and  then  dissolve  enjoying  his  own  dexterity. 

"You  told  her  right ;  it  was  nonsense  and  she  would 
have  done  well  to  take  your  advice.  A  silly  piece  of  non- 
sense it  was.  I  knew  where  I  could  place  the  horse  to 
good  advantage  when  I  bought  it  and  nobody  could  expect 
me  to  give  it  back.  Not  but  what  I  would  like  to  have 
done  the  young  lady  a  favour;  but  business  is  business, 
and  I  don't  let  sentiment  enter  in  at  all.  It's  all  very 
well  to  play  the  good  fellow  but  it  doesn't  get  you  anywhere ; 
and  Tom  Stubbs  wasn't  born  yesterday." 

"Yes,"  said  Alistair,  "I  suppose  you  stand  to  make  quite 
a  bit  of  money  by  selling  the  horse  again ;  and  it's  hardly 
to  be  expected  that  you  should  lose  a  good  thing  for  the 
matter  of  sentiment  and  a  lady's  bright  eyes." 

"I  stand  to  make  five  hundred  dollars,  that's  all.  There's 
another  young  lady  that  wants  a  horse  and  she  told  me 
what  she  wanted ;  and  in  that  little  black  of  yours  I've  got 
it.  Her  father'll  pay  me  the  thousand  as  quick  as  winkin' 
for  with  him  money  ain't  no  object  at  all.  Now  if  I  were 
to  give  this  young  lady  back  her  horse,  I'd  have  to  disappoint 
the  other  one  ;  so  you  see  there  ain't  no  object.  I'll  deal  with 
you  if  you  like  for  a  thousand — that's  five  hundred  dollars 
on  my  bargain,  but  you  can't  have  him  for  a  cent  less.  I'm 
not  in  business  for  my  health  you  see." 

"Oh  that  is  impossible,  Mr.  Stubbs,"  Lorraine  broke  in 
almost  in  tears,  and  her  eyes,  veiled  in  a  mist  were  shiny 
and  beautiful — at  least  Alistair  thought  so  and  wondered 
how  the  man  held  out  so  long.  "Just  for  once  in  a  way 
couldn't  you  look  at  it  from  another  standpoint  than  a 
business  one?  Be  a  good  sport,  as  my  brother  Ted  says, 
couldn't  you,  just  for  once?"  she  pleaded. 

Stubbs  trimmed  the  ashes  from  the  end  of  his  cigar  and 
crossed  one  knee  over  the  other  putting  his  back  against 
the  end  of  the  settee  so  as  to  face  the  girl.  His  shaggy 
countenance  seemed  to  be  somewhat  less  aggressive.  Her 
eyes  were  still  holding  him  and  as  she  leaned  forward 
towards   him  in   her  eagerness  he  seemed  to   fall   some- 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  275 

what  under  the  spell  of  them;  and  he  began  to  thaw  out 
from  his  attitude  of  hostility.  From  the  stern  and  severe, 
he  changed  to  the  jocose. 

"You're  a  very  taking  young  lady  and  I'd  like  to  be 
a  good  sport  as  you  say,  if  I  could  afford  it,  miss;  but 
in  this  case  to  follow  my  feelings  would  be  too  expen- 
sive. If  I  had  been  ten  years  younger,  I  suppose  likely  I 
wouldn't  ha'  been  able  to  refuse  those  bright  eyes  of  yours 
but  I  ain't  so  sentimental  at  this  time  o'  day.  Now,  the 
like  of  this  young  man  here — I  don't  know  if  he  is  your 
fie-an-cay  or  not — but  if  I  were  him,  I  wouldn't  be  five 
minutes  in  forking  out  the  cash  an'  gettin'  back  the  horse 
for  ye.  I  would  consider  it  cheap  at  the  price  now  for  a 
young  lady  like  you.  I'll  tell  you  what  I'll  do  though — to 
show  that  I  ain't  such  a  bad  sport  after  all  and  just  be- 
cause you're  such  a  good-looking  young  lady.  I'll  do  this 
with  you,  young  fellow;  I'll  throw  you  for  the  horse 
an  if  I  win  you  pay  me  a  thousand  dollars.  If  I  lose  you 
can  take  him  for  nothing  and  the  young  lady  can  keep  the 
five  hundred  dollars  I  paid  for  him.  Seems  to  me,  miss, 
that's  a  pretty  fair  sporting  proposition  and  you  asked  me 
to  be  a  good  sport. 

"Wait  a  minute  though,"  he  continued  as  Alistair  was 
about  to  speak.  "You'll  have  to  assure  me  that  you  have 
the  money  all  right.  I  ain't  goin'  to  bet  with  you  without 
I  know  that  if  I  win  you  can  come  through  with  the  cash. 
Will  you  take  me  up  now  ?" 

"Done  with  you,"  said  Alistair  quickly;  "and  I'll  put  up 
my  cheque  on  the  bank  at  Kamloops  and  you'll  find  the 
money's  there  all  right,  that  is  if  you  win." 

"Oh,  I  can't  let  you  do  this,  Mr.  Kilgour.  It's  too  much 
of  a  risk  and  I  can't  pay  you  back — not  just  now  at  least. 
You  mustn't  do  it,"  said  Lorraine  quickly.  She  was  mani- 
festly distressed. 

"Nonsense,"  he  returned;  "it's  a  fair  chance  and  I'm 
willing  to  take  it.  I'll  have  the  horse  for  security,  you 
know,"  he  said  jokingly,  at  the  same  time  anxious  to  lift 
from  her  any  sense  of  obligation.    It  was  a  quixotic  thing 


276  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

that  he  was  doing  for  he  could  ill  afford  to  lose  the  money 
at  this  time. 

"Shall  I  write  you  out  a  cheque  now  ?"  said  Alistair. 

"No,  I'll  take  your  word,"  said  Stubbs ;  "that's  good 
enough  for  me.  I've  seen  your  breed  of  Englishman 
before;  and  though  you're  easy  to  beat  on  a  deal  and  as  a 
rule,  almighty  stuck  on  yourselves,  you're  game  and  you 
don't  go  back  on  your  word.  Here,  boy,"  and  he  beckoned 
to  a  bell-boy  that  stood  over  by  the  office  counter.  "Go 
to  the  bar,  will  you,  and  bring  us  the  dice. 

"Yes,"  he  went  on,  "you're  a  queer  lot,  you  English 
yet  you  have  your  good  points ;  you  play  fair  an'  some- 
times you  get  badly  let  in.  I've  known  some  of  you  that 
I  could  have  stolen  their  eye-teeth  while  they  were  talkin' 
to  me.  But  I  wouldn't  do  it  with  them  kind ;  it  would  be  like 
stealing  candy  from  a  kid.  No,  no,  if  a  man  thinks  he's 
as  smart  as  I  am  then  it's  nip  and  tuck  between  us  and  no 
quarter  and  I'll  never  squeal  if  I  come  off  with  the  short 
end. 

"But  if  he  puts  himself  in  my  hands,  so  to  speak,  and 
trusts  to  me  then  I  wouldn't  for  anything  put  one  over 
on  him.     No,  no,  that  ain't  Tom  Stubbs." 

The  boy  arrived  with  the  dice  and  the  cattleman  handed 
them  to  Lorraine  drawing  a  little  table  that  stood  by 
towards  her. 

"Now  then,  miss,  you  must  make  the  throw  for  your 
side ;  and  see  if  you  can  make  it  a  lucky  one  for  the  young 
chap  here.  It's  a  big  stake  you're  playin'  for,  mind.  What'll 
we  make  it  on,  the  first  throw  or  the  best  out  of  three?" 
and  he  looked  to  Lorraine. 

"Let  it  rest  on  the  first  throw,"  she  replied,  "if  it  must 
be.     The  shorter  the  suspense,  the  better." 

Her  fingers  trembled  with  excitement.  Would  she  have 
the  luck? 

"Shall  I  throw  first?"  she  asked. 

Stubbs  nodded. 

She  rattled  the  box  and  threw.  The  dice  fell  out,  a  six 
and  a  four. 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  277 

"Good  throw  for  you!"  said  Stubbs.  "Now  we'll  see 
what  luck  I  have." 

He  got  a  two  and  a  three. 

"Bravo,  Miss  Lorraine,"  said  Alistair  delighted.  "You've 
won. 

"Congratulations !"  and  he  held  out  his  hand  to  her.  She 
let  him  grasp  it,  smiling  at  him  through  eyes  that  were  still 
misty.  It  was  the  first  time  that  he  had  ever  shaken  hands 
with  her — it  was  a  little  hand  and  he  did  not  hasten  to 
drop  it. 

"Will  you  shake  with  me  too,"  said  Stubbs  smiling ;  "now 
that  you've  got  the  horse  and  my  five  hundred  bucks,  you 
ought  to  be  willing  to  do  that." 

"Of  course,  I  will,  and  gladly,"  she  replied  heartily,  "and 
I  thank  you  ever  so  much.  I'll  say  you're  a  good  sport,  but 
I  won't  keep  your  five  hundred.  You  must  take  it  back. 
I  hope  some  day  you'll  come  and  make  acquaintance  with 
my  father  at  Inshallah." 

"I'll  be  delighted,  miss,  the  first  time  I  am  back  in  your 
country;  but  when  I  do,  you'll  not  leave  your  horse 
around  loose  for  I  swear  I  am  liable  to  steal  him  next  time. 
I  won't  take  back  the  money  either,  not  if  you  begged  me  on 
your  knees. 

"As  for  you,  my  lad,  I've  only  this  to  say,  that  you're 
a  good  sport.  I  just  wish  that  I  was  as  young  as  you  and 
I'd  have  given  another  five  hundred  to  take  your  place  on 
the  return  trip;"  and  he  winked  portentously  at  Lorraine 
who  blushed  furiously  and  turned  down  her  eyes. 


CHAPTER   XXXVIII 

THE  west-bound  train  left  Revelstoke  at  half  past  five 
and  it  was  boarded  by  Lorraine  and  Alistair.  The 
day  for  both  had  passed  quickly,  Lorraine  after  making 
her  excuses  to  Mr.  Stubbs  had  retired  to  her  room  where 
she  slept  until  lunch  time  leaving  the  two  men  together. 
The  cattleman  had  evidently  taken  a  fancy  to  Alistair  and 
talked  away  interestingly  about  his  business  and  the  experi- 
ences he  had  met  with  at  various  times  in  travelling  about 
the  country. 

Cattle  were  going  up  he  declared  and  now  was  the  time 
to  buy.  He  had  been  looking  at  the  Stetson  cattle  about 
twenty  miles  from  Garston.  Alistair  knew  the  Stetson 
place  by  reputation.  The  old  man,  who  had  been  one  of 
the  pioneers,  had  just  died  leaving  a  wife  but  no  children 
behind  him.  The  executor  wanted  to  sell  the  cattle  to 
clear  up  the  debts  of  the  estate  and  was  offering  them  very 
cheap,  thirty-five  dollars  a  head,  about  four  hundred,  taking 
them  right  through.  Stubbs  said  that  he  would  have  jumped 
at  the  offer  but  he  had  bought  so  much  already  that  he  had 
hardly  enough  funds  left  and  did  not  want  to  strain  him- 
self. He  could  easily  get  the  necessary  amount  from  his 
bank  but  he  preferred  not  to.  If  Alistair  had  the  money, 
he  offered  to  go  in  halves  with  him  and  share  the  profit.  He 
would  arrange  for  the  sale  of  them  and  Alistair  could  look 
after  the  shipping.  Allardyce,  Stetson's  executor  was  to 
deliver  them  at  the  cars  at  Garston  any  time  required  up 
to  the  1st  of  September,  so  that  there  would  be  no  ex- 
pense and  it  would  be  easy  to  sell  them  at  a  good  profit 
long  before  that.     There  was  no  risk,   Stubbs  declared. 

Alistair  told  him  he  was  sorry  but  that  he  had  not  the 
money  or  he  might  have  taken  up  the  offer.  His  own  was 
all  tied  up  in  the  Inshallah  place;  and  when  he  would  get 

278 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  279 

it  out,  he  said  he  did  not  know.  The  De  Roches  had 
about  three  hundred  head  but  so  far  they  seemed  not  to  have 
found  them  very  profitable. 

"Well,  you  should  be  able  to  get  back  some  of  your 
funds  this  Fall  for  they'll  make  a  good  thing  out  of  them, 
take  it  from  me.  Beef  is  about  six  cents  now — if  you  can 
sell  it  at  all — but  you  mark  my  words  it'll  be  nine  or  ten 
before  the  end  of  August.  You  say  you've  no  money,  but 
I'm  thinking  you  can  get  it  if  you  want  it — you  Britishers 
always  have  rich  relations — and  I'll  tell  you  what  I'll  do. 
I'll  leave  the  matter  open  for  a  week  and  if  you  change 
your  mind  wire  me  to  Calgary.  'Stubbs,  cattledealer'  will 
find  me.  The  money  would  be  wanted  within  a  fortnight. 
It'd  take  about  seven  thousand  dollars.  If  I  hear  from  you, 
I'll  wire  Allardyce.  He  gave  two  weeks'  option  and  there's 
ten  days  still  to  go.    Think  it  over." 

At  leaving,  Stubbs  had  repeated  the  offer  and  the  two 
parted  with  mutual  regret. 

Lorraine  had  had  lunch  sent  to  her  room  and  feeling 
rested  after  sleep,  she  and  Alistair  had  gone  for  a  stroll 
around. 

It  was  a  relief  to  both  of  them,  however,  when  they 
found  themselves  in  the  train  for  each  had  felt  something 
of  an  awkwardness  and  constraint.  He  had  suggested  to 
the  girl  that  perhaps  it  would  be  better  for  him  to  return 
by  the  next  train  so  that  they  should  not  travel  together 
in  case  of  any  of  the  Duck  Lake  people  being  on  board 
and  making  unpleasant  comments;  but  she  had  objected  to 
this. 

"I  have  done  nothing  to  be  ashamed  of  and  neither 
have  you,"  she  said;  "although  I  did  rate  you  so  hard  at 
first,"  she  added  with  a  smile ;  "and  I  think  that  there  is  no 
reason  that  we  should  act  as  if  we  had  done  wrong.  At  the 
same  time,  I  won't  want  to  make  any  unnecessary  talk, 
of  course." 

"Perhaps,  if  I  go  on  to  Kamloops  and  you  get  off  at 
Garston  that  will  be  all  the  precaution  that  would  be  neces- 
sary.    I  could  stay  at  the  hotel  there  and  turn  up  at  In- 


28o  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

shallah  next  day.  You  will  have  to  stay  all  night  at  Gar- 
ston  though,  won't  you?" 

"Yes,  but  I  shall  be  all  right  with  old  Humpty.  He 
will  look  after  me  and  Jimmie  goes  up  with  the  stage  about 
noon.    He  will  take  me  home." 

So  it  was  arranged,  and  with  that  off  their  minds  they 
both  felt  relieved.  Alistair,  to  tell  the  truth,  was  beginning 
to  feel  differently  towards  the  girl — the  last  twenty-four 
hours  had  shown  her  to  him  in  a  different  light.  He  could 
not  help  admiring  her  pluck  and  cheerfulness  under  trying 
circumstances  and  he  found  an  ease  and  restfulness  in  her 
presence  that  was  grateful. 

The  success  of  their  mutual  undertaking  and  the  relief 
to  have  it  so  happily  consummated  had  brought  to  both  of 
them  a  feeling  of  elation.  As  they  sat  down  together  in  the 
dining  car,  the  contrast  between  their  situation  of  the  night 
before  in  the  smelly  caboose  and  this  luxurious  travelling 
palace  of  sumptuousness  with  its  brilliant  lighting  and 
snowy-covered  tables  gleaming  with  cut-glass  and  silver  and 
the  large  windows  on  either  side  through  which  could  be 
seen  the  most  beautiful  panorama  all  kindled  into  wondrous 
tints  of  rose  and  gold  by  the  beams  from  a  brilliant  sunset, 
was  delightful.  A  spirit  of  sheer  gaiety  had  fallen  on  both 
of  them,  partly  due  to  the  reaction  and  relief  and  partly 
to  the  perfection  of  the  environment ;  for  what  can  equal 
in  its  sense  of  luxury  the  delight  of  eating  a  well-served 
dinner  in  a  Pullman  while  the  finest  scenery  in  the  world  is 
passing  by  in  panoramic  splendour. 

The  people  about  them  seemed  blithe  and  free  from  care, 
fashionably  dressed  and  chatting  with  each  other  happily; 
and  the  waiter  who  served  them  was  all  smiles,  scenting  in 
this  youthful  pair,  a  honeymoon  couple  good  for  a  gener- 
ous tip.  Lorraine  had  suggested  that  they  get  as  fine  a 
dinner  as  they  could  and  pay  for  it  out  of  the  five  hundred 
dollars  taken  from  Ted,  the  bulk  of  which  was  still  remain- 
ing; and  Alistair  falling  in  with  her  whim  consented.  She 
was  in  a  playful  mood  and  it  was  pleasant  to  lean  back 
and  watch  her  as  with  eyes  sparkling  and  heightened  colour 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  281 

she  smiled  at  him,  a  smile  that  held  a  hint  of  roguery  and 
at  the  same  time  betrayed  a  tremor  of  maidenly  bash- 
fulness. 

He  declared  that  if  she  was  bound  to  pay  for  the  meal 
then  she  must  be  consistent  and  do  the  ordering  of  it ;  and 
it  was  pretty  to  see  her  pursing  up  her  lips  over  the  mys- 
teries of  the  menu  card  while  the  waiter  hovered  about 
hiding  his  grins  behind  his  napkin  and  assisting  with  the 
advice  which  Alistair  smilingly  refused  to  supply.  At  last, 
it  was  completed  and  with  a  sigh  of  relief  she  handed  the 
waiter  the  order-slip  and  leaned  back  in  her  chair. 

"You  might  have  helped  me,"  she  complained ;  "when  you 
saw  how  green  I  was.  I  was  at  the  man's  mercy  and  I 
hardly  know  what  he  will  bring  us.  It  serves  you  right  if 
you  can't  eat  it  when  it  comes." 

"No  danger!  You  showed  admirable  selection.  An  epi- 
cure could  not  have  done  any  better;"  and  his  eyes  twin- 
kled as  an  odd  thought  struck  him.  She  caught  the  fleeting 
gleam. 

"Now,  what  are  you  thinking  of?"  she  asked.  "What  are 
you  smiling  at  ?" 

He  had  an  attractive  smile,  she  was  remarking,  singu- 
larly attractive. 

He  hesitated  a  moment  under  the  gaze  of  a  compelling 
pair  of  blue  eyes  and  when  he  spoke  there  was  a  catch  in  his 
breath  as  of  one  greatly  daring  and  fearful  of  his  temerity. 

"I  was  thinking  of  the  inconsistency  of  woman  and  how 
you  have  heaped  coals  of  fire  upon  my  head.  I  begin  by 
forcing  myself  upon  your  hospitality  to  your  great  annoy- 
ance— and  now  you  retaliate  by  forcing  your  hospitality  on 
me.  Is  it  right  to  overwhelm  me  with  such  a  weight  of 
obligation  ?" 

The  blue  eyes  were  hidden  under  a  fringe  of  long  lashes 
while  she  turned  their  glance  sidewise  through  the  window 
and  her  profile  had  a  wistful  cast.  She  was  thinking  of 
her  first  few  minutes  alone  in  the  caboose  last  night — alone 
with  the  recumbent  figure  on  the  locker  and  the  pain  and 
terror  of  them.    She  was  thinking  of  what  the  night  might 


282  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

have  been  had  she  had  to  lie  awake  even  for  part  of  it 
in  fear  like  that;  and  she  was  grateful  to  him.  Her  eyes 
still  turned  away. 

"Since  you  forced  yourself  into  my  service  as  knight- 
errant  the  least  that  I  can  do  is  to  give  you  a  meal.  You 
have  been  so  good  through  it  all — so  kind  and  considerate 
and  so — so  forbearing  after  the  way  I  have  treated  you — 
and  I  am  afraid  that  you  may  have  come  at  some  sacrifice — 
more  sacrifice  than  the  mere  discomfort  of  the  trip  and  the 
having  to  put  up  with  my  tantrums — my  Xantippean — I 

think  that  is  the  word "  and  for  a  moment  he  had  a 

glimpse  of  the  blue  eyes  again — "my  Xantippean  tantrums.  I 
am  afraid  that  Amy — I  am  afraid  that  Miss  Pelton  will  be 
annoyed ;  but  surely  she  will  have  forgiven  it  by  this  time.  It 
was  natural  enough,  was  it  not  that  she  should  be  a  little  put 
out  and  you  must  not  think  the  worse  of  her  for  it.  We 
girls  have  such  terrible  tempers,  you  know — we  are  so 
touchy,  aren't  we?" 

He  was  pleased  that  she  should  make  excuses  for  her 
friend  and  was  touched  by  her  evident  solicitude  for  the 
outcome;  but  he  was  far  from  feeling  concerned  about 
the  school-teacher's  forgiveness  for  his  desertion  of  her  on 
the  night  of  the  dance. 

"At  one  time  you  are  all  sparks  and  fireworks,"  he 
agreed  smiling;  "and  then  again  in  a  moment  almost,  you 
become  dates  and  honey.  No  wonder  a  mere  man  is  apt 
to  be  at  a  loss." 

The  waiter  now  appeared  with  a  trayful  of  eatables  and 
the  subject  had  perforce  to  be  dropped.  It  was  a  bountiful 
repast  that  she  had  ordered  of  which  the  piece  de  resistance 
was  roast  turkey  and  they  both  did  justice  to  it.  The  talk 
was  on  a  less  personal  strain,  of  her  school  life  in  Victoria, 
of  his  experience  in  London  of  which  he  was  able  to  tell 
much  that  was  interesting  to  her,  of  books,  about  which  she 
showed  a  cultured  and  discerning  taste  and  an  acquaintance 
not  wide  but  eclectic. 

Dinner  over  and  the  waiter  tipped  to  his  ample  satisfac- 
tion, they  passed  out  into  the  observation  car  in  which  there 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  283 

were  only  three  or  four  passengers  seated  and  on  out  to 
the  platform  at  the  end.  Here  there  was  only  one  occupant, 
an  elderly  gentleman  sitting  huddled  at  the  side,  his  coat 
collar  turned  up  evidently  to  protect  his  throat  from  the 
chill  night  air,  and  apparently  asleep.  They  sat  down  on 
the  other  side. 

"This  is  the  most  peaceful  and  secluded  spot  on  the  whole 
train,"  Alistair  remarked  as  he  settled  himself  comfortably 
in  his  chair  and  pulled  his  cigarette  case  from  his  pocket. 
"If  there  is  anybody  that  knows  us  on  board  they  are  not 
going  to  come  out  here,  so  you  may  feel  perfectly  safe. 
I  am  glad  now  that  I  didn't  wait  for  the  next  train,  for 
there  was  no  need  for  the  precaution ;  and  I  wouldn't  have 
missed  this  for  anything.  How  do  you  think  it  compares 
with  the  caboose?" 

"I  don't  believe  the  view  is  as  good,"  she  replied.  "We 
have  to  look  back  all  the  time,  while  last  night  we  could  look 
before  as  well  as  behind.  Still  I  wouldn't  care  to  be  back 
in  the  caboose  all  the  same.  That  was  a  very  peremptory 
conductor  and  as  for  the  passenger — well,  he  was  worse  than 
peremptory ;  but  the  less  said  about  him " 

She  paused  and  he  could  tell  that  she  was  smiling. 

"The  less  said  about  him  the  better,"  he  concluded  for  her. 

"He  is  quite  able  to  speak  for  himself,"  she  amended,  "if 
he  wants  to ;  but  he  is  modest — at  times,  that  is.  I  wonder 
what  Ted  is  doing,"  she  said  becoming  serious  in  a  moment. 
"My  conscience  still  pricks  me  for  leaving  him.  I  do  hope 
that  he  went  home  and  kept  away  from  Monte  and  the  rest 
of  that  bad  crowd.  I  thought  he  was  going  to  reform  com- 
pletely. I  would  hate  to  have  all  the  neighbours  know  what 
he  did  about  Pronto;  but  if  Amy  and  Dickson,  the  station- 
master,  keep  quiet  it  may  be  all  right." 

He  was  silent,  for  he  could  not  reassure  her.  He  was 
aware  how  news  flies  around  in  a  country  place. 

"The  best  way  is  to  defy  gossip  and  to  rise  superior  to  it," 
he  said  for  want  of  something  better.  "We  ought  to  be  more 
afraid  of  our  own  self -judgment  than  that  of  the  world." 


284  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

"So  you  say,  but  I  notice  that  you  are  very  careful  about 
Mrs.  Grundy,"  she  twitted. 

"Ah,  Mrs.  Grundy  is  a  different  matter  altogether,  Mrs. 
Grundy  is  a  female  and  is  not  to  be  flouted  with  impunity. 
Hence  my  care  to  seek  out  the  most  secluded  corner  on  the 
train.  Here,  at  least,  no  officious  friend  is  likely  to  find  us 
out  and  plague  us  with  embarrassing  questions." 

"Don't  be  too  sure  of  that,  young  man,"  said  a  deep  bass 
voice  coming  from  the  figure  in  the  corner  which  had  straight- 
ened itself  up  and  was  now  looking  towards  them  disclosing 
to  Alistair's  astonished  eyes  a  pair  of  bushy  eyebrows  and 
grey  whiskers  that  bristled  familiarly  under  the  moon's  re- 
vealing beams.  "I  don't  want  to  be  officious  but  I  thought  it 
was  best  to  let  you  know  that  I  am  here." 

"Why, — why  it's  Mr.  Durie,"  gasped  Alistair,  jumping  up 
and  grasping  the  owner  of  the  voice  by  the  hand.  "I  never 
expected  to  see  you  here." 

"No,  evidently  not,"  the  old  lawyer  replied  with  an  in- 
tonation of  dryness  that  was  not  lost  on  his  listeners ;  "and 
be  assured  that  I  wouldn't  have  interrupted  you,  only  that  I 
couldn't  sit  still  and  listen  any  longer.  I  didn't  expect  to 
see  you  here  either." 

"But  let  me  introduce  my  friend.  This  is  Miss  De  Roche ; 
Mr.  Durie,  an  old  friend  of  mine  from  Edinburgh,  who  was 
the  last  man  I  expected  to  find  out  here." 

The  lawyer  rose  to  his  feet  and  bowed;  the  girl,  rising 
also,  acknowledged  his  salute  with  a  faint  inclination  of  her 
head.    Then  she  turned  to  Alistair. 

"The  night  air  is  chilly,"  she  said,  "I  think  I  shall  go  in- 
side and  leave  you  and  your  friend  alone  as  you  will  have 
much  to  talk  about,"  and  she  left  them. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX 

IT  was  not  much  more  than  an  hour  after  Lorraine  and 
Alistair  had  left  the  dance  at  Rexham  when  Layburn 
himself  slipped  unobtrusively  out  of  the  hall  to  the  shed  be- 
hind where  his  horse  was  awaiting  his  master's  pleasure. 
Quickly  harnessing  it  to  the  buggy  he  drove  out  into  the 
road  and  took  the  direction  of  the  hotel  at  Garston. 

He,  too,  like  Lorraine,  had  had  a  summons  from  the  scene 
of  gaiety  not  half  an  hour  before  by  the  mouth  of  a  half- 
grown  Indian  boy,  but  it  was  not  with  the  intention  of  obey- 
ing it  that  he  had  stolen  away  now.  It  was  from  Pete,  his 
half-breed  partner,  who  had  been  hurt  in  the  race  that  after- 
noon and  now  lay  with  his  back  broken  at  the  house  of  a 
relative  about  half  a  mile  from  Garston.  Pete,  so  the  mes- 
senger had  said,  was  in  a  bad  way  and  greatly  troubled  in 
mind,  and  in  the  midst  of  his  moaning  he  had  called  re- 
peatedly for  Layburn. 

But  Olney,  after  careful  cogitation,  had  decided  not  to 
answer  the  call.  Pete  had  been  a  useful  man  and  had  always 
dealt  on  the  straight,  but  it  looked  to  Layburn  as  if  perhaps 
his  time  of  usefulness  was  past.  The  accident  of  that  after- 
noon, the  way  things  were  shaping,  might  prove  a  very 
fortunate  affair  from  the  viewpoint  of  the  latter.  On  the 
other  hand,  it  might  prove  the  reverse ;  for  if  Pete  thought 
that  he  was  about  to  die,  he  might  in  a  fit  of  deathbed  re- 
pentance divulge  certain  matters  concerning  the  dealings 
of  the  partnership  which  would  prove  disastrous. 

Layburn  was  much  discouraged,  of  late,  with  the  way  fate 
was  treating  him.  For  a  long  time  he  had  been  having  every- 
thing his  own  way  and  he  was  the  more  inclined  to  be 
peevish  over  the  obstacles  to  his  plans  that  had  in  the  last 
month  or  so  presented  themselves. 

285 


286  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

It  had  started,  of  course,  with  the  appearance  of  this 
young  Britisher  on  the  scene.  No  longer,  as  of  old,  could  he 
consider  himself  boss  on  the  ranch  with  this  fellow  slouch- 
ing around  like  a  sleuth  and  watching  everything  that  went 
on.  Then  Lorraine  had  thrown  him  over  and  had  shown 
him  that  his  suit  was  hopeless,  the  suit  by  which  he  had 
hoped  eventually  to  have  Inshallah  for  his  own  when  old 
De  Roche  should  shuffle  off.  His  defeat  in  the  struggle  with 
Kilgour  had  not  improved  his  prestige  in  the  district  and 
some,  who  before  had  never  dared  to  show  their  real  feel- 
ings towards  him,  were  now  giving  him  the  cold  shoulder. 

He  was  curious  as  to  what  Lorraine  had  done  about  the 
loss  of  her  horse  and  when  he  came  down  to  the  station  he 
sought  out  Dickson  in  his  office  and  interrogated  him.  The 
station  agent,  however,  beyond  admitting  that  the  horse  had 
been  shipped  out  with  the  rest  of  the  dealer's  purchases  and 
that  Miss  De  Roche  and  Mr.  Kilgour  had  been  in  to  see  him 
about  it,  was  careful  not  to  divulge  anything  further.  His 
manner  made  it  so  plain  that  he  was  on  his  guard  that 
Olney  was  all  the  more  curious  to  learn  more. 

Seeking  the  hotel,  he  was  not  able  to  get  anything  out  of 
old  Humpty,  but  he  found  the  man  who  was  to  have  gone 
to  Calgary  with  the  horses.  After  treating  him  to  a  couple 
of  drinks  at  the  bar,  it  was  not  long  before  he  learned  that 
a  man  and  a  girl — who  could  be  none  other  than  Lorraine 
and  Kilgour — had  boarded  the  freight  and  were  now  on 
their  way  east.  Quickly  shaking  off  the  source  of  his  in- 
formation, who  would  gladly  have  made  a  night  of  it  with 
him,  he  left  him  in  the  bar  and  went  in  to  the  parlour  to  be 
alone  and  think  over  the  situation. 

Here  the  lamp  was  burning  low,  but  by  its  faint  light  he 
made  out  the  outlines  of  a  figure  on  the  lounge.  He  went 
over  to  it  and  lighted  a  match  which  quickly  disclosed  the 
features  of  Ted  sound  asleep,  his  right  arm  thrown  up  over 
his  head  with  all  the  abandon  of  the  drunken  man. 

A  smile,  crafty  and  sinister,  gleamed  for  a  moment  on 
Layburn's  face  as  he  looked  down  on  that  of  the  boy  flushed 
and  tear-soiled,  a  smile  that  betrayed  satisfaction. 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  287 

"The  little  fool!"  he  muttered  contemptuously  as  he 
turned  away.  His  mind  was  made  up  in  a  flash.  He  would 
pull  his  stakes  and  away.  The  game  here  was  well-nigh  up 
and  miraculously  the  road  had  been  cleared  for  him.  De 
Roche  was  a  helpless  invalid,  Lorraine  and  Kilgour  off  to- 
gether on  a  wild-goose  chase  and  Ted  drunk  and  sick  with 
remorse,  no  doubt,  for  selling  the  horse  and  therefore  too 
crushed,  even  if  he  did  get  sober,  to  offer  any  opposition. 
Pete,  his  partner,  helpless  on  his  back  and  likely  to  die,  was 
not  liable  within  the  next  twenty-four  hours  to  cause  any 
trouble. 

And  twenty-four  hours  would  do  it.  Only  to-day  at  the 
Fair,  Lancaster,  who  had  come  out  from  Edmonton  to  buy 
store  cattle  to  stock  his  new  ranch,  had  offered  him  forty 
dollars  a  head  straight  through  for  the  Inshallah  cattle.  He 
wrould  be  glad  to  take  his  own  and  Pete's  as  well — Pete's  no 
longer,  indeed,  for  Layburn  had  no  intention  of  accounting 
to  the  half-breed  for  his  share  of  the  cattle.  Pete  with  his 
back  broken  was  down  and  out.  He  was  only  an  Indian 
anyway  and  there  was  no  use  to  take  account  of  him. 

But  could  he  get  the  cattle,  his  own  and  the  Inshallah 
bunch  all  in  and  down  to  Garston  by  to-morrow  night  ?  Time 
was  valuable,  for  Kilgour  and  Lorraine  might  come  back 
any  time.  He  felt  sure,  however,  that  they  could  not  get 
back  writhin  forty-eight  hours.  He  could  hire  at  least  half 
the  men  who  were  there  at  the  dance  to  help  him.  There 
was  another  dance  to-morrow  night  in  the  Garston  school- 
house,  and  so  long  as  they  were  back  to  that  they  would  not 
mind  riding  all  day,  especially  if  he  promised  them  double 
wages.  Nor  would  they  ever  question  his  right  to  sell  the 
Inshallah  cattle. 

Lancaster  was  at  the  Stewart  Hotel  in  Kamloops  by  now. 
He  could  telephone  to  him  there  and  arrange  for  him  to  be 
at  Garston  the  following  night  with  the  Brand  Inspector 
at  five  o'clock.  He  must  bring  his  money  with  him  in  bills. 
There  would  not  be  time  to  cash  a  cheque,  for  he  would  have 
to  be  across  the  line  into  the  States  by  another  twenty-four 
hours.     Once  there,  he  knew  of  places  where  he  would  be 


288  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

safe.  He  would  hire  a  chauffeur  from  Kamloops  that  he 
knew  of  by  repute  who  would  ask  no  questions  as  long  as 
his  pay  was  liberal.  He  would  take  Monte  with  him.  Monte 
knew  too  much  and  was  too  dangerous  to  leave  behind,  but 
he  would  be  content  with  a  modest  share  of  the  booty. 

Now  he  would  be  able  to  show  Kilgour  who  was  the  best 
man.  The  Britisher  would  find  he  had  only  the  naked  ranch 
for  his  security  and  he  would  be  stuck  on  the  notes  that  he 
had  signed  at  the  bank  as  well.  And  as  for  Lorraine,  it  would 
serve  her  right  to  have  her  pride  ground  in  the  dust.  She 
would  find  that  there  were  worse  things  that  might  happen 
to  her  than  the  loss  of  her  riding  pony. 

Olney  was  a  man  not  wont  to  give  outward  expression  to 
his  feelings,  but  he  rubbed  his  hands  together  in  satisfaction 
as  he  went  away  to  telephone  to  Kamloops. 


CHAPTER  XL 

ON  Lorraine  leaving  Mr.  Durie  and  Alistair  alone  at  the 
end  of  the  car,  the  two  men  were  silent  for  a  few 
moments,  each  feeling  somewhat  at  a  loss  for  words.  The 
elder  had  heard  all  that  had  been  said  and  the  tenor  of  it 
had  perplexed  him  not  a  little.  To  find  his  friend  appar- 
ently travelling  with  a  young  woman  on  intimate  terms  was 
something  of  a  shock  to  him  and  the  reference  to  gossip  and 
Mrs.  Grundy  had  not  been  reassuring.  He  was  loath  to  put 
the  worst  construction  on  what  he  had  seen  and  heard,  but 
certainly,  on  first  appearances,  it  looked  bad.  He  had  so 
pleasantly  anticipated  this  first  meeting  with  the  boy  and  the 
surprise  that  he  would  give  him,  that  to  have  it  happen  in 
such  a  fashion  was  a  keen  disappointment. 

Alistair  on  his  side  was  considerably  nonplussed  also. 
He  had  been  enjoying  so  much  his  tete-a-tete  with  Lorraine 
that  its  sudden  and  somewhat  unpleasant  termination  in  this 
way  came  to  him  as  a  caprice  of  fortune  that  he  could  ill  take 
philosophically.  He  was  wondering,  too,  how  much  of  the 
conversation  the  lawyer  had  heard  and  what  construction  he 
might  have  put  upon  it ;  and  while  on  the  whole  he  felt 
that  his  conscience  was  clear,  still,  his  association  with  Miss 
De  Roche  on  a  trip  of  this  kind  was  certainly  an  awkward 
thing  to  explain.  An  older  man  might  have  been  able  to 
carry  it  off  with  more  aplomb,  but  Alistair,  in  spite  of  his 
sophistication  in  the  shady  precincts  of  London  law  courts, 
was  yet  only  in  his  early  twenties  and  had  still  at  times 
something  of  a  boy's  engaging  bashfulness. 

"Is  the  young  lady  travelling  with  you  ?"  asked  Mr.  Durie, 
who  was  the  first  to  find  his  tongue,  trying  but  with  poor 
success  to  make  his  voice  sound  unconcerned.  It  was  use- 
less, he  thought,  to  ignore  her  presence.  He  might  as 
well  know  the  worst  or  the  best  as  soon  as  possible  and 

289 


290  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

clear  the  way  for  discussion  of  the  matters  that  had  brought 
him  out  here. 

"Yes,"  replied  Alistair  with  some  hesitation,  "in  a  way, 
we  are  together.  It  is  something  of  a  long  story,  though.  I 
suppose  that  you  probably  heard  something  of  our  conversa- 
tion." 

"I  did,  I  must  confess,  and  I  apologise.  At  first,  I  did  not 
know  it  was  you,  but  the  voice  sounded  familiar  and  very- 
soon  I  felt  sure  that  it  was.  Perhaps  I  did  not  make  my 
presence  known  soon  enough,  but  really,  my  boy,  I  had  no 
intention  of  eaves-dropping.  I  must  say,  though,  that  1  am 
sorry  if  there  should  be  anything  that  the  boy  I  knew  as 
Alistair  Kilgour  would  have  to  say  that  he  would  be 
ashamed  for  me  to  hear — for  I  think  of  you  as  a  boy 
still,  even  although  you  are  now  pretty  much  of  a  man." 

"I  should,  indeed,  be  sorry  too,  sir ;  and  really  you  do  me 
wrong  if  you  think  there  is  in  this  case,  though  as  I  said  be- 
fore it  is  a  long  story  and  takes  a  little  explaining." 

He  sensed  the  concern  in  the  other's  tones  and  he  had  too 
much  real  regard  for  his  friendship  to  let  him  rest  under 
his  misapprehension  a  moment  longer  than  was  necessary. 
So  he  told  him  the  whole  story,  explaining  at  length  his  rela- 
tions with  the  De  Roches  from  the  start,  much  of  which,  of 
course,  the  lawyer  already  knew  from  his  letters,  in  which 
he  had  told  him  the  difficulties  he  had  to  contend  with,  not 
only  from  the  De  Roche  household,  but  from  the  people  of 
the  district  as  well. 

Mr.  Durie,  while  still  somewhat  scandalised,  was  much 
relieved  by  his  explanation  and  admitted  that  perhaps  the 
young  man  if  he  acted  rashly  had  not  done  amiss  in  helping 
the  girl,  especially  as  it  had  turned  out. 

"All  the  same,  it's  a  most  extraordinary  story — a  most 
extraordinary  story,"  he  repeated  with  emphasis.  "And  you 
say  that  this  is  the  girl  who  has  been  so  mean  to  you  all 
along  and  has  done  everything  to  make  it  uncomfortable. 
Ah,  my  boy,"  and  he  shook  his  head.  "I'm  afraid  that 
there's  only  one  explanation.  She  must  be  wonderfully 
good-looking  and  you  must  be  deeply  in  love.    But  I  suppose 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  291 

almost  anything  is  to  be  expected  in  this  extraordinary 
country.  However,  I  cannot  complain.  I  came  out  here — 
apart  from  your  father's  express  request  and  my  wish  to' 
help  you  and  him  out  of  a  hole — I  came  out  looking  for 
thrills.  At  my  time  of  life  one  would  hardly  expect  them — 
but  I  am  certainly  getting  more  than  I  bargained  for.  This 
is  the  worst  yet.  I  could  tell  you  of  several  interesting  oc- 
currences on  the  way  out " 

"But  tell  me  first  why  you  came,  sir,  will  you,  please,  for 
I  am  on  tenterhooks  to  know  what  could  tear  you  away  from 
Auld  Reekie.  I  quite  believe  that  it  must  have  been  for  my 
sake  and  my  father's,  for  I  know  of  your  kindness  in  the 
past.  But  I  should  like  to  learn  the  immediate  causes  that 
moved  you  to  take  such  a  step — and  apart  from  your  desire 
to  get  thrills,  of  course,"  he  added  roguishly. 

"None  of  your  impertinence,  young  sir;  but  give  me  a 
cigarette  and  I'll  tell  you  all  about  it. 

"In  the  first  place,  your  poor  father  was  getting  properly 
worried.  This  foreclosure  action  was  weighing  on  his 
spirits  and  affecting  his  health.  He  had  never  experienced 
anything  of  the  kind  before  and  he  was  quite  unable  to  take 
it  calmly,  although  I  assured  him  that  we  should  certainly 
be  able  to  make  it  all  right  before  there  was  any  danger  of 
loss  of  the  property.  Then  he  was  afraid  that  something 
might  happen  to  you  or  that  you  would  not  know  what  was 
best  to  be  done  in  forcing  a  settlement  out  here ;  and  he 
thought,  in  short,  that  if  I  came  out  two  heads  would  be 
better  than  one  and  that  between  us  we  might  get  the  things 
adjusted  in  some  way.  He  still  thinks  of  you  as  a  boy,  you 
see,  and  can  hardly  realise  that  it  is  possible  you  should  be 
able  to  take  care  of  yourself." 

"Dear  old  Dad,"  said  Alistair.  "I  can  quite  realise  it  and 
you  were  too  good-natured  to  refuse  when  he  suggested 
that  you  should  come." 

"As  a  matter  of  fact,  my  dear  boy,  I  jumped  at  the  chance. 
To  take  such  a  holiday  as  a  matter  of  actual  duty  was  a  real 
godsend.    Here  I  was  able  to  tell  everybody  that  I  had  to 


292  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

go  to  Canada  on  clients'  business,  when  all  the  time  I  knew 
that  I  was  humbugging  them  and  myself  as  well. 

"As  a  matter  of  fact,  it's  made  a  new  man  of  me  and  I 
feel  ten  years  younger  already.  These  Rockies,  why  I 
never  saw  anything  like  them.  They  make  one's  blood  thrill 
to  look  at  them!  And  the  mountain  air  and  the  colouring" 
and  the  sunsets ;  why  man,  I  could  almost  write  poetry.  At. 
times  I  feel  positively  dithyrambic,  by  Jove,  I  do !" 

"I  know,"  said  Alistair,  "I've  got  it  too,  bad ;  and  to  make 
a  clean  breast  of  it,  I  don't  want  to  go  back.  You  can  keep 
your  law,  but  no  more  of  it  for  me.  I'm  done  with  it,  if  I 
can  make  a  living  for  myself  out  here  in  the  open. 

'And  there  are  big  chances  too.  This  very  day  I  met  a 
cattleman  who  showed  me  how  in  three  months'  time  with 
seven  thousand  dollars  I  could  make  my  fifty  per  cent ;  and 
I  believe  he  was  right." 

"Ah,  speculation !"  exclaimed  the  lawyer  with  a  sneer.  It 
was  as  if  he  had  said  "rattlesnakes"  or  something  else  as 
deadly. 

"Speculation,  if  you  like ;  but  speculation  where  you  could 
hardly  lose,"  said  Alistair,  warming.  "Buying  cattle  at  their 
present  low  figure  couldn't  have  much  of  the  element  of  risk 
in  it,  could  it?  especially  when  one  would  be  buying  cheap 
from  a  man  who  wanted  to  sell  even  if  he  had  to  do  it  at 
a  loss." 

"There's  something  in  that,  I  suppose,"  Mr.  Durie  ad- 
mitted. "Tell  me  more  of  the  details.  I  was  talking  to  a 
farmer  on  the  prairies,  and  he  also  was  telling  me  he  thought 
that  cattle  were  due  for  a  rise.  I  haven't  kept  my  ears  shut 
at  all  on  this  trip  across  I  can  tell  you." 

Alistair  explained  Stubbs'  offer  in  detail  and  the  lawyer 
was  deeply  interested. 

"I've  taken  a  flier  before  this  in  the  Argentine,"  he  re- 
marked, thoughtfully  puffing  at  his  cigarette,  "and  I  did 
well,  to,  out  of  it.  Of  course,  it's  very  sinful  and  I 
shouldn't,  I  suppose ;  but  I  have  gathered  together  quite  a  bit 
of  gear  and  I've  no  one  of  my  own  to  spend  it,"  he  added 
sadly.     "So  I  might  as  well  have  a  little  fun  if  I  want  to — at 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  293 

least  that's  my  feeling.  It  puts  a  zest  into  life  sometimes  to 
take  a  chance,  and  mine  has  been  on  the  whole  humdrum 
enough.  I've  steered  clear  of  the  biggest  lottery,  so  I  may  be 
excused  if  I  have  a  shot  at  some  of  the  lesser  ones,  I 
suppose." 

"You  mean  marriage?"  queried  Alistair.  "The  ladies 
would  say  you  were  ungallant." 

"Ah,  but  I  don't  say  such  things  before  the  ladies.  How- 
ever, to  keep  to  the  subject,  if  you  think  that  this  man, 
Stubbs  is  all  right  you  can  wire  him  that  you  accept  his 
offer  and  I  can  have  the  money  here  by  cable  in  a  couple  of 
days  or  so.  I'll  give  you  half  the  profits  over  four  per  cent 
on  my  money.    How'll  that  suit  you  ?" 

"It's  far  too  generous,"  said  Alistair.  "You  don't  need  to 
give  me  any  of  the  profits.  You  are  taking  all  the  risk  and 
for  all  I  know  there  may  be  considerable." 

"Well,  I  made  that  much  on  the  Argentine  business  and  if 
I  lose  on  this  I'll  just  be  square  of  the  game.  Righteous 
people  will  have  a  chance  to  say  it  serves  me  right.  Now, 
let  us  go  in  to  the  young  lady,  for  I  am  dying  to  see  what 
she  is  like  after  what  you  have  told  me.  She  may  be  think- 
ing all  sorts  of  things  about  us,  and  it  is  time  that  I  made 
amends  for  any  unkind  thoughts  that  I  may  have  had  of 
her." 

They  went  inside  and  found  Lorraine  sitting  rather  deso- 
late in  the  far  corner  of  the  car  reading  a  magazine.  She 
received  them  with  an  air  of  hauteur  which,  however,  soon 
melted  under  the  geniality  of  the  lawyer.  Old  man  of  the 
world  as  he  was,  he  could  be  very  agreeable  when  he  laid 
himself  out  for  it. 

At  Sicamous,  he  sent  Alistair  out  to  despatch  the  telegram 
to  Stubbs,  and  in  spite  of  the  young  man's  warning  that  he 
had  better  be  cautious,  he  insisted  on  its  being  done,  saying 
he  felt  sure  that  it  was  a  good  thing. 

While  he  was  away  he  had  a  chance  for  a  talk  with  Lor- 
raine alone ;  and  when  she  found  out  that  he  had  come  to 
join  Mr.  Kilgour,  she  invited  him  to  visit  them  at  Inshallah 
and  take  up  his  quarters  there.    The  lawyer  accepted  with 


294  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

alacrity,  but  said  that  he  would  travel  to  Kamloops  with 
his  friend  and  come  out  with  him  the  next  day.  He  was 
aware  of  the  arrangement  they  had  made  and  thought  it 
was  a  wise  one. 

It  was  half  past  ten  when  the  train  arrived,  and  their 
farewell  was  of  the  briefest  and  most  perfunctory.  Alistair 
followed  Lorraine  out  on  the  platform  at  the  end  of  the  car 
and  saw  her  descend  and  walk  quietly  off  towards  the 
hotel.  Two  men  boarded  the  train.  They  were  Lancaster, 
the  dealer  whom  he  had  seen  at  the  Fair  with  Stubbs,  and 
Du  Bois,  the  Brand  Inspector. 

The  conductor  had  just  lifted  his  lantern  as  a  signal  to 
the  engineer  to  start  when  a  small  flying  figure  appeared 
suddenly  from  the  other  direction.    It  was  Herb. 

"Mr.  Kilgour!  Mr.  Kilgour!"  he  cried  as  he  recognised 
Alistair's  head  leaning  out.  "Quick,  come  down,  come 
down :  something  terrible  has  happened.  Layburn's  sold  all 
the  Inshallah  cattle." 

In  his  eagerness  and  in  order  to  keep  the  conductor  from 
jumping  up  and  thus  blocking  the  one  possible  exit  for 
Alistair,  who  was  behind,  he  caught  hold  of  the  man's  coat 
sleeve.  Railway  dignitaries,  however,  are  not  accustomed 
to  be  treated  in  such  free-and-easy  fashion,  especially  when 
on  duty,  and  the  conductor,  indignant  at  this  lese-majeste, 
with  one  vigorous  thrust  of  the  arm  flung  the  boy  to  the 
ground.  The  second's  delay,  however,  was  sufficient  and 
Alistair,  grasping  in  a  flash  the  meaning  of  his  words, 
jumped  lightly  down.  Without  stopping  to  remonstrate  with 
the  conductor,  he  picked  Herb  up  but  little  the  worse  and 
waited  for  him  to  recover  his  breath.  Meanwhile  the  long 
train  moved  slowly  out  bearing  Mr.  Durie,  all  unconscious 
as  yet  of  his  companion's  desertion. 

It  was  not  long,  in  spite  of  the  boy's  excitement  and  the 
incoherence  at  times  of  his  tale,  before  Alistair  had  learned 
all  he  had  to  tell  him. 

The  night  before,  after  the  parting  with  Alistair,  he  had 
gone  straight  to  the  dance  hall  to  find  Layburn.  As  he 
took  the  old  road,  however,  he  missed  meeting  him  on  the  way 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  295 

clown  to  Garston  as  he  would  otherwise  have  done.  Not 
finding  him,  he  waited  about  on  the  chance  that  he  might 
come  back,  as  one  or  two  of  the  men  said  that  they  were 
expecting  he  would.  In  about  an  hour  or  so,  he  was  re- 
warded by  his  appearance  and  at  once  delivered  his  message. 

Layburn,  however,  as  we  know,  had  already  found  out 
what  Herb  had  to  tell  him  as  well  as  the  part  that  the  boy 
had  been  told  not  to  disclose,  and  he  was  too  intent  on  the 
immediate  business  he  had  before  him  to  pay  much  attention. 

Herb  then  went  home  and  narrowly  escaped  a  thrash- 
ing from  his  mother  for  having  stayed  so  late.  Next  morn- 
ing he  went  to  school  but  was  on  tenterhooks  all  day.  In 
the  afternoon,  as  soon  as  he  was  released,  he  rushed  off 
home  to  saddle  Alistair's  horse  and  ride  down  to  meet  the 
train. 

On  the  way,  he  overtook  Layburn  and  his  riders  with  the 
cattle.  To  his  sharp  boyish  wits,  it  seemed  strange  that  as 
soon  as  Alistair  and  Lorraine  were  out  of  the  way,  the  stock 
should  be  rounded  up  and  taken  off  the  range  at  this  season 
of  the  year.  It  could  be  for  nothing  else  but  to  sell  them, 
he  reasoned  and  he  determined  to  see  all  that  could  be  seen 
of  what  went  on.  He  followed  them  all  the  way  and  was 
nearby  when  Layburn  shook  hands  with  the  cattle  dealer 
and  the  Brand  Inspector.  The  cattle  were  coralled  and 
counted  with  the  greatest  haste.  The  time  before  dusk  was 
short  enough.  There  were  about  four  hundred,  all  told, 
and  mixed  in  with  the  Inshallah  cattle  were  others  that  bore 
Layburn's  own  brand. 

Herb  had  seen  Ted  come  out  from  the  hotel  and  Layburn 
had  taken  him  inside  and  talked  to  him.  After  that  Ted  had 
stood  still  and  watched  the  proceedings.  When  these  were 
over,  the  riders  had  all  gone  off  to  the  dance  at  the  school 
house.  The  Brand  Inspector  and  Mr.  Lancaster,  the  dealer, 
had  gone  into  the  hotel  with  Layburn  and  Ted.  The  two 
former  had  just  boarded  the  train  that  Alistair  had  left. 

"You're  a  smart  boy,  Herb ;  and  I  am  greatly  indebted 
to  you,"  said  Alistair.  "That  Layburn  is  evidently  a  worse 
rogue  than  I  had  thought.    He  has,  no  doubt,  sold  the  cattle 


296  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

and  got  the  money  for  them.  What  we  must  do  first  then 
is  to  get  it  back  from  him." 

"Gee,  I  had  'most  forgotten  about  Rout,"  said  Herb. 
"Come  here,  Rout,"  and  the  figure  of  an  Indian  boy,  a  lad 
of  eighteen  or  thereabouts,  appeared  suddenly  from  out 
the  darkness  where  he  had  been  standing  close  by  while 
they  were  talking.  "Rout  is  Pete's  brother.  Pete,  you 
know,  is  Layburn's  partner  up  at  the  old  Riley  place.  He 
was  the  Indian  that  got  hurt  yesterday  in  the  race  and  he's 
awful  bad  too.  Rout  was  lookin'  after  the  place  when  Pete 
was  away,  and  when  he  saw  Layburn's  men  roundin'  up  his 
brother's  cattle  he  sure  knew  that  there  was  somethin' 
wrong.  Guessed  that  Layburn  was  up  to  some  dirty  trick 
when  Pete  was  sick.  So  he  come  down  an'  told  Pete  an' 
Pete  was  awful  mad.  Said  he'd  make  it  hot  for  Layburn 
an'  he  sent  Rout  here  to  tell  you  how  they'd  been  stealin' 
Inshallah  calves  these  last  two  years." 

"Is  that  so  ?"  said  Alistair  to  the  boy. 

"That  shore  is  right,"  said  the  lad,  nodding  his  head. 
"They  useter  brand  the  Inshallah  calves  with  their  brand 
and  no  one  was  the  wiser.  When  I  told  Pete  how  Layburn 
was  double-crossing  him — sellin'  the  calves  an'  all — he  said 
he'd  squeal  if  he  went  to  gaol  for  it.  He  allowed  though 
now  that  his  back  is  broke  they  wouldn't  trouble  him,  an'  he 
thought  that  mebbe  you  or  Mr.  De  Roche  if  you  got  the 
cattle  money  back  from  Layburn  would  give  him  a  little 
bit." 

"An'  would  he  swear  to  this?  Take  his  oath  before  a 
magistrate,  you  know?" 

"Sure,  he  would,  you  bet.  He'd  do  anything  to  get  even 
with  Layburn ;  'n'  Monte  too.  Monte  hain't  played  the  game 
neither.    Wish't  I  had  my  knife  in  him." 

Alistair  pondered  for  a  moment.  Here  was  confirmation 
of  what  Wilmot  had  told  him  that  night  at  his  shack.  It  was 
evident  that  Layburn  was  thoroughly  unscrupulous  and  that 
even  his  own  accomplices  could  not  trust  him.  To  brave 
him  and  Monte  together  would  be  a  risky  thing,  but  he  could 
not  see  anything  else  for  it.    It  would  never  do  to  allow  them 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  297 

to  go  off  with  the  money  for  the  cattle.  If  he  were  to  wait 
until  he  could  swear  out  a  warrant  and  bring  the  police,  the 
birds  might  well  be  flown. 

He  wondered  what  kind  of  a  meeting  Lorraine  and  Lay- 
burn  were  having  together.  The  girl,  of  course,  would  not 
know  what  had  happened  and  it  was  not  likely  that  Layburn 
would  tell  her.  Her  presence  could  hardly  fail  to  be  em- 
barrassing, he  reflected.    How  would  Layburn  receive  her? 

His  decision  was  soon  taken. 

"Herb,"  he  said,  "we'll  go  over  to  the  hotel  and  I'll  see 
if  I  can't  bring  these  cattle  rustlers  to  book.  If  you  are  not 
afraid  I  would  like  you  to  be  on  hand  outside,  but  you  must 
not  come  in.    I  might  want  you  later  to  go  on  an  errand." 

"Let  me  come,  too,"  said  the  Indian  lad. 

"You  can  wait  outside  with  Herb  if  you  want  to,"  said 
Alistair. 


CHAPTER  XLI 

AFTER  alighting  from  the  train,  Lorraine  walked 
rapidly  over  to  the  hotel  without  once  turning  her 
head  to  look  back.  The  moon  had  not  yet  arisen  and, 
coming  out  of  the  brightly  lighted  car,  the  night  seemed 
even  darker  than  it  was.  There  was  a  light  in  the  window 
of  the  hotel  parlour  as  well  as  in  the  transom  above  the 
door.  Mrs.  Humpty  herself  often  sat  in  the  parlour  with 
her  sewing  and  it  was  with  the  full  expectation  of  finding 
her  there  that  the  girl  passed  through  the  hall,  which  was 
empty,  and,  opening  the  door,  stepped  boldly  into  the  room. 

It  was  in  semi-darkness,  the  only  light  being  a  candle, 
and  it  was  not  until  Layburn  spoke  that  she  recognised  the 
two  men  sitting  on  opposite  sides  of  the  centre  table.  The 
other  was  Monte.  They  had  been  shaking  dice  to  while 
away  the  time. 

"So  it's  you  back  already,  miss,  is  it?"  Layburn  said  with 
a  sneer,  looking  up,  but  not  rising  from  his  chair.  He  had 
had  a  long  day  in  the  saddle,  and  now,  with  the  money  for 
the  cattle  in  his  pocket,  he  had  been  relaxing  for  a  space 
while  waiting  for  the  motor  from  Kamloops  which  was  to 
take  him  and  Monte  across  the  boundary.  His  plans  so  far 
had  all  gone  well  and  Lancaster,  the  dealer,  had  just  left 
them  to  take  the  train  for  Kamloops.  He  was  to  be  back 
again  on  the  morning  train  to  attend  to  the  shipping  of  the 
cattle,  which  were  now  in  the  railway  corrals.  The  riders 
had  all  gone  to  the  dance  at  the  schoolhouse  half  a  mile 
away  and  Mrs.  Humpty  as  well,  so  that  there  was  no  one 
in  the  hotel  except  Humpty,  who  had  gone  upstairs  to  bed. 

To  Layburn,  therefore,  when  all  had  been  turning  out 
so  satisfactorily,  the  appearance  of  Lorraine  at  such  an  in- 
opportune moment  when  he  thought  Alistair  and  she  safely 
on  the  road  to  Calgary  would  have  been  disturbing  had  his 

298 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  299 

mood  been  less  elevated— had  he  felt  less  cocksure  of  his 
success.  He  had  been  indulging  in  two  or  three  drinks, 
which  had  somewhat  dulled  the  acuteness  of  his  perceptions. 

If  he  did  not  rise  to  his  feet,  however,  Monte  was  on  his 
in  an  instant  and  quickly  pulling  back  his  own  chair  he 
offered  it  to  Lorraine,  at  the  same  time  adroitly  placing 
himself  between  her  and  the  door. 

She  took  it  almost  mechanically  in  her  surprise  and  an- 
noyance. Layburn  was  about  the  last  one  that  she  wanted 
to  see  at  this  time.  She  had  not  before  realised  how  strong 
had  become  her  dislike  to  this  cousin  of  hers,  a  dislike 
recently  born  but  which  had  grown  with  a  swiftness  that 
astonished  her.  For  the  moment  she  could  not  find  words 
to  answer  him. 

"And  what  has  become  of  the  squire  that  went  with 
you  ?"  Layburn  continued,  concealing  the  anxiety  with  which 
he  asked  the  question.    "Did  he  come  back  too?" 

"If  you  are  referring  to  Mr.  Kilgour,  he  has  gone  on  to 
Kamloops  to-night." 

"Oh,  has  he?  That  is  too  bad,  Monte  and  I  are  heart- 
broken, aren't  we,  Monte?" 

Lorraine  burned  with  resentment  at  his  tone,  but  she 
hardly  knew  how  to  give  voice  to  it. 

As  for  Layburn,  he  was  bound  he  would  punish  her.  She 
had  spurned  him  and  now  he  would  pay  her  back.  Some- 
thing told  him  that  she  had  changed  her  attitude  to  Kilgour 
and  it  was  through  him  that  he  could  make  her  feel. 

"I  suppose  he  has  gone  to  buy  a  wedding  ring  for  Amy 
Pelton.  You  know  that  they  are  engaged,  don't  you  ?  She 
told  me  last  night." 

He  was  lying  to  her  and  enjoying  it.  He  felt  that  she 
winced  at  the  news. 

"No,  I — she  had  not  told  me,  but  I  am  not  surprised. 
They — they  seemed  to  get  on  well  together.  I  am  glad  for 
Amy." 

"Oh,  you're  glad,  are  you?  I  thought  that  you  had  no 
use  for  him.  It  strikes  me  you've  changed  your  tune  pretty 
quick.     I  suppose  he  made  love  to  you  too,  but  he  hadn't 


300  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

much  regard  for  your  character,  my  lady,  had  he?  Why, 
the  whole  place  is  talking  about  the  way  you  and  he  ran  off 
together.     Why " 

"I  won't  stay  and  listen  to  you,  Olney,"  she  said  with  a 
catch  in  her  voice,  rising  quickly  to  escape.  On  a  faint  sign 
from  him,  however,  Monte  had  put  his  back  against  the 
door,  a  grin  contorting  his  gargoyle-like  features  as  he  gazed 
down  at  her,  shaking  his  head  slightly. 

Pausing  a  moment  in  amazement,  she  then  tried  to  push 
him  aside  but  he  gripped  her  tightly  by  the  arm  and  forced 
her  back.  Realising  the  futility  of  her  effort  she  desisted. 
Then  she  turned  to  Layburn,  her  head  erect  and  her  whole 
mien  tense  with  indignation.  As  yet  she  was  too  angry  to 
be  afraid. 

"What  does  this  mean,  Olney?  Will  you  stand  by  and 
let  Monte  treat  me  this  way?" 

He  smiled  at  her  unpleasantly,  almost  a  leer.  The  fumes 
of  Humpty's  whisky  taken  on  an  empty  stomach — for  he 
had  scarcely  had  a  bite  to  eat  all  day — were  having  their 
effect,  and  prudence  and  decency  were  alike  forgotten. 

"Sit  down  again,  Lorraine,  sit  down  and  let  me  explain. 
Let  me  explain  just  f'r  one  minute,  will  you.  You  see,  it's 
this  way.  Monte  and  I,  we  have  decided  that  we  are  not 
exactly  meeting  with  the  appreciation  that  we  deserve  up 
here — in  fact,  that  you  haven't  been  treating  us  right — and 
that  we  want  to  get  back  to  the  country  we  belong  to,  where 
we  will  be  treated  right.  Yes,  for  we're  not  going  back 
empty-handed.  Jus'  let  me — le'  me  show  you,"  and  he  pulled 
from  his  breast  pocket  a  large  wallet  and  opened  it  to  show  a 
thick  wad  of  bills.  "See  these,  all  'hundreds';  and  more 
than  these  we  have  too.  This  is  the  money  that  your  pretty 
little  Britisher  came  out  to  get,  but  you  see  we've  got  in 
ahead  of  him,  Monte  and  I.  You  an'  him  came  back  a 
little  too  early,  though,  and  I'm  afraid,  my  dear,  it  is  going 
to  cause  you  a  leetle — just  a  leetle  inconvenience  for  we 
shall  have  to  take  you  with  us,  just  for  part  of  the  way.  It 
wouldn't  do  to  leave  you  behind  for  you  might  split  on  us. 
The  car  will  be  here  any  time  now." 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  301 

Lorraine's  eyes  were  wide  with  consternation  and,  at 
first,  speech  failed  her. 

"But,  Olney,"  at  last  she  burst  out,  "what  do  you  mean? 
You  aren't  in  earnest,  surely.  You  wouldn't  treat  your 
own  cousin  this  way?" 

"To  tell  the  truth,  my  dear,  I'm  not  your  cousin  at  all. 
I  just  took  his  name  when  I  came  up  here.  He  died  down 
in  Montana  and  he  told  me  all  about  his  relatives  up  here 
and  I  thought  it  would  be  a  cute  trick  to  come  up  and  pass 
myself  off  for  him.  It  wouldn't  do  him  any  harm  and 
think  of  the  benefit  I  was  doing  to  you  all.  I've  got  no 
kick  about  the  way  your  dad  treated  me,  but  I  don't  like 
the  way  that  you  an'  Ted  have  acted ;  do  you,  Monte  ?" 

"Oh,  I  wish  Ted  was  here.  He  wouldn't  let  you  treat  me 
this  way." 

She  was  half  sobbing  now. 

He  laughed. 

"Ted,  why  Ted  is  here.  He's  there  on  the  lounge  behind 
you,  drunk  as  a  lord  and  dead  to  the  world.  Oh,  he  is  a 
gay  boy,  Ted,  believe  me,  now  that  my  restraining  influence 
has  been  taken  away." 

She  gave  a  cry  of  dismay  and  rushed  over  to  the  sofa 
where,  indeed,  Ted  was  lying  sound  asleep.  She  shook  him 
by  the  arm,  shook  him  roughly,  but  she  could  not  arouse 
him.  The  last  drink  that  he  had  taken  had  been  drugged, 
but  she  was  not  to  know  that.  In  desperation  she  ran  to 
Olney  and  seized  him  by  the  arm. 

"What  have  you  done  to  him?  Oh,  what  have  you  done 
to  him?" 

"Done  to  him,  nothing  at  all.  He's  done  it  to  himself, 
hasn't  he  ?  I  can't  keep  him  from  making  a  hog  of  himself, 
can  I?  But  you  needn't  take  on  so,"  he  said  in  a  milder 
tone,  relenting  a  little.  "We  are  to  take  him  with  us — 
a  matter  of  expediency — so  that  it  will  be  perfectly  proper. 
You  couldn't  have  a  better  chaperone  than  your  own 
brother,  could  you?  Now  if  that  shark  Kilgour  had  been 
as  careful  of  your  reputation,  there  wouldn't  be  any  reason 
for  talk,  would  there?    We  won't  take  you  with  us  all  the 


302  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

way  either,  will  we,  Monte?  but  we'll  drop  you  and  him 
somewhere  where  it's  quiet  an'  lonely,  where  you'll  have  a 
nice  long  walk  back.  Meanwhile  we'll  tell  Humpty  that 
we've  all  gone  down  to  Penticton  together  to  buy  a  new 
bunch  of  cattle  with  the  money  we  got  for  our  own.  That'll 
put  everybody  off  the  scent,  won't  it?  and  by  the  time  that 
you  two  get  home  to  tell  your  tale,  Monte  and  I  will  be — 
well,  somewhere  away  from  all  the  little  unpleasantnesses 
we  have  in  this  miserable  country." 

The  meaning  of  his  words  was  dawning  upon  her  and 
for  the  first  time  she  began  to  realise  the  position. 

"Have  you  really  sold  our  cattle  to  get  that  money  ?"  she 
gasped. 

"Aye,  verily,  it  is  even  so,  miss,"  he  replied,  mocking  her. 

"Then  Mr.  Kilgour  will  catch  you  and  get  it  back.  He 
will  never  give  up." 

Her  words  had  the  ring  of  conviction  even  if  her  heart 
sank  with  doubt.    She  felt  sure  at  least  that  he  would  try. 

Layburn  laughed  sardonically,  although  there  was  just  a 
trace  of  uneasiness  in  his  eyes. 

"You  forget  that  he  has  gone  to  Kamloops  and  he  will 
know  nothing  about  it  till  long  after  we  are  beyond  his 
reach.    You  needn't  look  to  him  for  help,  that's  a  cinch." 

There  was  a  sudden  crash  as  the  door  against  which 
Monte  was  still  standing  was  thrust  violently  open,  throwing 
him  forward  into  the  room,  and  Alistair  appeared,  his  hand 
holding  a  revolver,  the  muzzle  of  which  wavered  threaten- 
ingly between  Layburn  and  Monte. 


CHAPTER  XLII 

I'VE  got  you  both  covered.  Put  up  your  hands,"  said 
Alistair.  Layburn  laughed  harshly  but  he  lifted  up  his 
hands  above  the  table  where  he  was  still  sitting.  Monte  had 
quickly  recovered  his  balance  and  would  have  sprung  at 
the  newcomer,  but  he  recoiled  before  the  threatening  muzzle 
so  close  to  him,  and  he,  too,  put  up  his  hands. 

"Go  and  call  Humpty,"  commanded  Alistair  in  a  quick 
aside  to  Lorraine,  who  had  risen  to  her  feet.  He  was 
anxious  to  get  her  out  of  the  room.  The  girl,  after  a  mo- 
mentary hesitation,  obeyed. 

"So  you're  here,"  Layburn  began  with  a  sneer,  "and 
what's  the  trouble.  What  sort  of  Wild  West  stuff  is  this. 
Turned  highwayman,  have  you,  for  a  change?  What'll  it 
be  next,  I  wonder." 

"It  won't  be  cattle-thief,  anyway,"  said  Alistair.  "Wrhat 
do  you  mean  by  selling  the  Inshallah  cattle?  I'll  trouble 
you  to  hand  over  the  money  you  got  for  them.  It's  Mr. 
De  Roche's  money  and  not  yours,  so  I'll  take  charge  of  it, 
please.  Outside  the  door  I  heard  what  you  said,  so  you 
needn't  take  the  trouble  to  deny  it.  Besides,  I  know  all 
about  you  and  Pete  stealing  the  Inshallah  calves.  Pretty 
serious  business,  that,  I  call  it.  You  can  put  down  your 
right  hand  and  take  out  that  money  and  lay  it  on  the  table. 
Better  do  as  I  say  exactly  now,  for  if  you  make  any  mis- 
takes I  shall  just  have  to  shoot  you,  for  I  can't  afford  to 
take  chances." 

Layburn'6  face  seemed  to  twitch  nervously,  or  was  it  the 
flickering  light  of  the  candle  upon  the  table  making  the 
shadows  play  over  it  ?  Cautiously  he  lowered  his  right 
hand  and  drew  out  his  pocket-book  from  his  breast  pocket. 

"Mebbe  you'd  like  me  to  open  it  and  show  you  that  the 
money's  there,"  he  volunteered  and,  opening  its  folds,  he 

303 


3o4  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

showed  the  thick  wad  of  bills.  Then,  as  he  closed  the 
wallet,  with  a  sudden  sweep  of  his  arm  he  knocked  over  the 
candle  and  made  a  swift  dive  for  Alistair's  knees.  He  had 
stooped  low  but  not  so  quickly  but  that  the  pistol  rang  out 
and  a  bullet  struck  him  in  the  arm  that  had  made  the  demon- 
stration. His  spring  fell  short  of  its  object  and  he  sank 
to  the  floor.  Monte  meanwhile  had  grappled  with  Alistair 
and  had  both  arms  around  him  in  a  viselike  grip,  and  the 
two,  tripping  over  a  chair,  had  fallen  back  against  the  door 
where  they  swayed  and  wrestled  grimly.  The  room  was 
dark,  for  the  candle  had  gone  out.  Monte,  by  a  trick  of 
which  he  was  master,  had  forced  the  pistol  from  Alistair's 
hands  so  that  it  fell  to  the  floor.  In  their  fall  they  lay  each 
on  his  side,  facing  one  another  so  that  at  first  neither  had 
the  advantage ;  but  the  cowboy  had  muscles  of  steel  and  was 
easily  the  stronger.  Again  and  again,  he  sought  to  get  his 
clutch  on  Alistair's  throat,  but  the  latter  was  able  to  hold 
him  off;  yet  gradually  he  felt  that  his  strength  was  giving 
out.  Herb  and  the  Indian  boy  outside  were  trying  to  open 
the  door,  but  could  not  budge  it  for  the  bodies  of  the  two 
struggling  men,  who  fought  in  grim  silence  save  for  occa- 
sional gasping  breaths  that  told  of  the  deadliness  of  their 
fight.  Meanwhile,  Layburn  had  rallied  somewhat  from  the 
faintness  caused  by  his  wound  and  had  managed  to  rise  to 
his  feet,  cursing  loudly  from  the  pain. 

"Stay  with  him,  Monte,"  he  cried  hoarsely,  "an'  I'll  kill 
that  devil  as  s-s-soon  as  I  can  light  this  damned  match. 
'Tain't  so  easy  when  a  fellow's  winged  an'  this  arm  hurts 
me  like  hell." 

At  last  he  managed  to  light  a  match  and  he  stooped  for 
the  pistol. 

"I'll  bat  him  on  the  head  with  this  an'  he'll  not  trouble 
us  any  more,  I  guess,"  he  muttered ;  but  his  match  went  out. 
As  he  fumbled  for  another  one,  the  window  of  the  room 
was  thrown  up  and  two  figures  jumped  in.  Just  then  Lay- 
burn  struck  his  second  match,  but  it  was  his  undoing.  The 
two,  Herb  and  Rout,  had  gone  round  to  the  window  and 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  305 

now  swooped  down  upon  him.  In  a  moment  they  had  him 
on  his  back  on  the  floor. 

"See  to  the  Boss,"  said  the  Indian,  "I  hold  him  now 
myself." 

Herb,  nothing  loath,  obeyed  and  turned  to  help  Alistair, 
but  in  the  dark  it  was  difficult  for  him  to  distinguish  be- 
tween the  two  men  struggling  on  the  floor.  He  had  caught 
a  momentary  glimpse  of  them  from  the  light  of  Layburn's 
match  and  now  he  had  to  feel  his  way.  His  hands  en- 
countered a  pair  of  shoulders,  and  following  these  they 
came  on  a  head  and  face  on  which  latter  the  beard  and 
moustache  left  no  doubt  as  to  its  owner. 

Monte  swore  deeply  as  the  hands  closed  upon  his  throat. 
Alistair,  feeling  his  enemy's  clutch  weakening  and  that  re- 
inforcements were  at  hand,  made  a  desperate  effort  to  throw 
it  off.  The  attempt  succeeded,  for  Monte  with  his  wind 
already  half  gone  began  to  suffocate.  In  another  moment 
Alistair  had  risen  to  his  knees  and  had  the  cowboy  on  his 
back  at  his  mercy. 

As  soon  as  he  had  raised  himself,  the  door  which  had  been 
for  some  time  exerting  a  painful  pressure  against  his  back 
of  which  he  was  but  dimly  aware,  opened  with  great  sudden- 
ness and  old  Humpty  entered  with  a  candle  in  one  hand  and 
a  cudgel  in  the  other,  followed  closely  by  Lorraine. 

"Geehosaphat !"  exclaimed  the  old  man,  as  he  surveyed 
the  scene  that  met  his  eyes.  "Holy  Moses,  but  this  'ere  is 
some  shindy,  I  do  think." 

Layburn  lay  on  his  back  with  the  Indian  boy  sitting  on  his 
chest,  with  hate  and  triumph  in  his  eyes  and  his  open  clasp- 
knife  in  his  right  hand  ready  for  use.  The  man's  arm  was 
bleeding  from  a  flesh  wound  and  blood  was  spattered  plenti- 
fully on  the  floor  around  him.  A  few  feet  away  Alistair 
was  kneeling  over  Monte  with  Herb  beside  him.  His  face 
was  the  first  thing  Lorraine  saw  as  she  entered  behind 
Humpty.  He  was  panting  heavily  and  his  cheek  was  badly 
cut  where  in  his  fall  he  had  struck  the  corner  of  a  chair. 
However,  he  was  able  to  smile  faintly  into  her  eyes — apolo- 
getically, indeed,  for  he  was  conscious  of  the  odd  figure 


3o6  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

which  he  must  make.  He  felt  rather  ashamed  to  have  been 
so  nearly  bested  by  Monte  and  Layburn — so  nearly  that 
had  it  not  been  for  the  timely  reinforcements  they  would 
have  overcome  him  completely. 

As  for  Lorraine,  who  had  been  terrified  lest  he  were  killed 
or  fatally  wounded,  her  eyes  looked  into  his,  lustrous  with 
tears  unshed,  and  he  read  in  them  a  message  to  which  his 
own  heart  responded  with  a  leap.  In  these  brief  minutes  of 
stress  they  had  just  passed  through  they  had  come  closer, 
perhaps,  than  a  month  of  intimacy  might  have  brought  them. 
For  a  moment,  forgetful  of  the  bizarre  group  around  them, 
and  the  strangeness  of  the  whole  situation,  they  looked  into 
each  other's  eyes  and  soul  spoke  to  soul  of  a  love  that  must 
have  been  nascent  but  until  now  had  not  revealed  itself 
to  either  of  them.  But  to  Lorraine  it  was  a  brief  ecstasy, 
for  in  a  flash  came  back  to  her  what  Layburn  had  so  lately 
told  her,  that  this  man  was  engaged  to  Amy.  Her  face, 
which  had  been  pale,  flushed  to  a  rosy  red  at  the  awful 
thought  that  she  had  betrayed  her  secret,  that  she  had  given 
her  love  unasked.  Overcome  by  the  agitation  caused  by  her 
fears  and  the  consequent  revulsion  of  feeling  when  she  found 
them  ill-grounded,  she  hid  her  hot  cheeks  in  her  hands. 

Fortunately  an  interruption  occurred  that  gave  her  a 
chance  to  compose  herself  and  drew  all  eyes  away  from 
her.  A  man  stood  in  the  doorway  looking  down  wonder- 
ingly  upon  them.  Alistair  leaned  over  for  his  pistol  that 
lay  on  the  floor  where  it  had  fallen,  and  then  arose  quickly 
from  Monte's  prostrate  body,  motioning  Herb  back  also.  He 
did  not  think  that  there  was  anything  further  to  fear  from 
that  worthy  in  the  meantime.  Then  he  picked  up  Lay- 
burn's  wallet  from  the  table  where  it  still  lay  and  put  it  in 
his  pocket. 

"Been  a  little  argument,  looks  like,"  the  stranger  said  with 
a  note  of  sarcasm,  his  eye  roving  quizzically  from  one  mem- 
ber of  the  group  to  another.  He  wore  a  big  over-coat  and 
chauffeur's  gloves.  "I  was  ordered  to  be  here  at  ten  to 
take  a  party  south  Penticton  way.  A  chap  called  Layburn; 
must  be  one  of  you,  I  take  it." 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  307 

"That  is  the  gentleman  there  on  his  back  on  the  floor,  but 
I  don't  know  whether  he  will  need  you  now  or  not,"  Alistair 
replied  dryly,  seating  himself  nonchalantly  on  the  edge  of 
the  table.  He  was  not  indifferent  to  Lorraine's  breakdown ; 
but  she  would  soon  recover  her  composure  and  in  the  mean- 
time there  was  yet  much  to  be  settled.  "It  will  depend  en- 
tirely on  our  pleasure  whether  he  will  be  able  to  go  with 
you." 

Layburn  glanced  at  him  and  then  at  the  Indian  looking 
down  at  him  with  eyes  of  hate. 

"Call  your  dog  off,  will  you,"  he  said  hoarsely,  "and  let 
me  sit  up  so  I  can  talk  to  you  ?" 

The  words  were  like  to  have  been  his  last.  Rout,  wild  at 
the  insult,  lifted  his  knife  to  strike  him  and  would  have 
driven  it  home  in  his  body  had  not  Humpty  brought  his 
cudgel  smartly  across  the  boy's  wrist  and  sent  the  weapon 
spinning  across  the  room.  He  had  seen  the  thing  coming 
almost  before  it  happened  else  Layburn  had  paid  dearly  for 
the  insult.  The  boy,  furious  at  being  thwarted,  jumped  at 
the  old  man  like  a  cat.  The  other  was  ready  for  him,  how- 
ever. Exhibiting  a  strength  and  nimbleness  hardly  to  be 
expected  from  his  appearance,  he  gripped  his  assailant  by 
the  shoulder  and  tossed  him  after  his  knife,  so  that  he 
fell  with  a  crash  in  the  corner. 

Layburn,  meanwhile,  realising  his  narrow  escape,  scram- 
bled with  difficulty  to  his  feet  and  was  fain  to  sit  down.  He 
was  faint  from  his  wounded  arm  and  the  by  no  means  gentle 
treatment  that  Rout  had  accorded  him. 

"Looks  like  it  ain't  very  healthy  for  me  round  these 
parts  the  way  things  been  going  this  last  ten  minutes.  That 
damned  Indian  pretty  near  made  me  pass  in  my  checks  this 
time  sure." 

"Served  you  jolly  well  right  for  sassin'  him  so,"  said 
Humpty.  "An  Indian  houghtn't  to  be  called  a  dog  any 
more  than  a  white  man,  I  says.  They've  their  feelin's, 
'aven't  they,  like  other  folks  ?  Mebbe  I  made  a  mistake  for 
interferin'  with  'im,  but  I  wouldn't  like  to  see  'im  goin'  to> 


3o8  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

the  gallus  even  if  his  haction  was  to  our  hinterest.  That's 
the  way  I  feel  about  it." 

The  boy  had  picked  himself  up.  The  fall  had  appar- 
ently brought  him  to  his  senses  and  his  frenzy  had  passed. 
His  features,  turned  towards  the  light,  showed  now  the 
characteristic  impassivity  of  his  race. 

"Thanks,  Humpty,"  said  Layburn  with  a  grin,  a  wry  one, 
however,  for  he  felt  that  the  cards  were  against  him,  and 
the  pain  of  his  wound  was  severe.  "You're  candid  enough, 
anyway ;  you  always  were." 

"What  are  we  to  do  with  this  cousin  of  yours,  Miss  De 
Roche  ?"  said  Alistair  at  last.  "Shall  we  prosecute  him  for 
cattle  stealing  or  shall  we  let  him  go  if  he  leaves  the  money 
behind?"  and  he  began  to  count  the  bills  that  were  in  the 
wallet.  "The  amount  seems  to  be  about  right,  on  a  rough 
calculation,  I  should  say,"  as  he  concluded  after  he  had 
counted  them  over. 

"He  says  that  he  is  not  my  cousin  and  I  am  glad — glad — 
that  that  is  so.  I  think,  though,  that  we  should  let  him  go. 
It  may  be  weak  to  do  so — maybe  exposing  other  people  to 
the  danger  of  his  villainies — but  I  cannot  help  it.  I  have 
to  think  of  my  father — it  might  kill  him  to  know  the  truth 
of  this — and  if  you  think  that  it  is  all  right,  I  would  rather 
let  him  go.  Maybe  he  will  repent  and  turn  over  a  new  leaf. 
I  am  sure  I  hope  so." 

"And  Monte,  what  about  him  ?  Is  he  to  be  allowed  to  go 
free  also?" 

"Yes,  Monte  too." 

"Damn  your  infernal  cheek!"  said  Layburn,  turning  to 
Alistair.  "You  needn't  think  that  I  am  going  to  be  black- 
mailed out  of  the  country.  You  can't  prove  that  I  was 
going  to  steal  the  money  I  sold  the  cattle  for.  That  was  all 
a  cock-and-bull  story  I  told  Lorraine  a  little  while  ago.  I 
was  just  playing  a  joke  on  her." 

"Oh,  you  were,  were  you  ?  And  what  about  your  knowl- 
edge that  the  cattle  were  covered  by  my  chattel  mortgage 
and  also  the  agreement  that  you  and  I  both  signed  with  the 
bank  when  they  made  us  the  advances  that  they  did.    That 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  309 

alone,  my  friend,  will  be  quite  sufficient  to  make  things  very 
unpleasant  for  you  should  you  elect  to  remain  in  the  country. 
What  about  your  avowal  that  you  impersonated  another 
man?  "We  can  easily  find  out,  now  we  are  warned,  if  that 
was  only  a  joke.  Then  there  is  the  little  matter  of  Pete, 
your  partner's  confession  implicating  you  in  a  wholesale 
robbery  of  Inshallah  calves.  Are  you  anxious  to  stay  and 
face  that  charge  also?" 

"I  guess  you  got  me  euchred.  What  do  you  say,  Monte? 
Shall  we  get  out  now  while  the  going's  good  or  had  we  bet- 
ter stay  an'  face  the  music  ?" 

"I  guess  we  better  git,  Olney.  I — guess  so,"  said  Monte 
after  a  moment  of  hesitation.  "What  about  funds  though? 
I  hain't  hardly  got  a  bean  and  it's  a  cinch  we  can't  git  out 
of  the  country  without  something  to  go  with." 

Layburn  looked  first  at  Alistair,  then  at  Lorraine.  There 
was  silence  for  a  few  seconds. 

"I  guess  they  won't  see  us  stuck  for  enough  to  take  us 
away,"  he  said. 

Alistair  looked  at  Lorraine. 

"There's  that  five  hundred  we  got  from  Stubbs,"  she  said. 
"Suppose  we  give  them  each  a  hundred  dollars  out  of  that 
— on  condition  that  they  go  out  of  here  to-night  with  this 
man?" 

She  handed  him  two  hundred-dollar  bills. 

"I  must  go  and  look  to  my  brother  now,"  she  said,  and 
she  rose  and  went  over  to  the  lounge  where  Ted  was  still 
lying  fast  asleep. 


CHAPTER  XLIII 

BEFORE  letting  Layburn  and  Monte  go,  Alistair  made 
the  former  sign  a  paper  which  he  had  drawn.  This 
was  to  obviate  the  possibility  of  any  legal  complications  in 
regard  to  the  cattle,  either  with  Layburn  or  anyone  else. 
When  this  was  done  and  he  had  seen  the  last  of  the  two  he 
drew  a  deep  sigh  of  relief. 

He  persuaded  Lorraine  to  let  Humpty  show  her  to  her 
room  on  promising  himself  to  put  Ted  to  bed  as  soon  as  he 
came  back  from  the  schoolhouse.  It  was  necessary  to  go 
there  to  tell  Evie  not  to  go  back  to  Inshallah  but  to  come 
down  to  the  hotel  with  four  or  five  men  to  be  on  hand  to 
drive  the  cattle  back  on  the  range  in  the  morning.  He 
hoped  that  he  could  get  Lancaster,  the  dealer,  to  take  back 
his  money  for  the  cattle  when  he  explained  the  circum- 
stances to  him. 

When  he  got  back  to  the  hotel  again,  this  mission  having 
been  duly  accomplished,  the  place  was  all  quiet.  He  car- 
ried Ted  upstairs  to  the  room  Humpty  had  assigned  to  him 
still  fast  asleep,  and  after  undressing  him  and  putting  him 
to  bed,  he  lay  down  himself.  Sleep,  however,  was  long 
in  coming  and  then  it  was  fitful  and  troubled. 

He  was  up  early  in  the  morning,  and  by  half  past  seven 
was  able  to  get  Lancaster  on  the  telephone  at  the  Stewart 
Hotel  in  Kamloops.  On  learning  the  circumstances  the 
dealer  consented  to  take  back  his  money,  although  it  was 
plain  that  he  was  much  annoyed.  He  stipulated,  however, 
that  Alistair  would  bring  it  to  him  at  Kamloops  on  the 
morning  train  which  was  due  at  Garston  about  eight.  Alis- 
tair asked  him  to  advise  Mr.  Durie  of  his  safety  and  the 
reason  for  his  desertion  of  last  night.  There  was  just  time 
to  give  the  men  their  directions  what  to  do  with  the  cattle 
and  to  leave  a  message  for  Lorraine  as  to  where  he  was 

310 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  311 

going.  She  was  not  yet  up,  but  Ted  was.  He  was  feeling 
very  seedy  and  half  sick  from  the  effects  of  the  liquor 
and  the  drug  that  Layburn  had  given  him.  His  physical 
discomfort,  however,  was  more  bearable  than  his  mental 
reproach.  Alistair  took  pity  on  him  and  suggested  that  he 
accompany  him  to  Kamloops.  This,  he  felt,  would  not 
only  be  a  distraction  for  the  boy,  but  it  would  be  a  relief  to 
Lorraine  to  have  the  responsibility  of  him  off  her  mind  for 
the  present.  She  would  be  able  to  get  home  with  Jimmy 
Appleby  on  the  stage  that  left  at  midday.  Herb  had  already 
ridden  off  rather  unwillingly  to  school  but  full  of  a  thrilling 
pride  at  the  part  he  had  been  able  to  play  in  the  drama  of 
the  preceding  night.  Rout,  too,  had  departed  well  pleased 
with  a  message  to  his  brother  that  he  would  not  be  prose- 
cuted for  his  complicity  with  Layburn  and  that  it  was 
likely  some  small  part  at  least  would  be  given  him  of  the 
money  received  from  the  sale  of  the  cattle  from  the  Riley 
place. 

Once  on  the  train,  Alistair  tried  to  rally  Ted  out  of  his 
dejection,  which  seemed  to  him  to  be  too  acute  in  a 
healthy  boy  and  his  contrition  too  abject  for  the  fault  he 
had  committed,  especially  since  its  consequences  had  been 
averted.  He  feared  that  there  might  be  something  else 
that  he  was  hiding  that  troubled  his  conscience. 

"Don't  be  afraid  to  tell  me,  Ted,"  he  said.  "You  must 
think  of  me  as  a  friend  who  wants  to  help  you,  you  know." 

"It  was  I  with  Monte  and  Jack  Beckles  that  held  you  up 
that  night  at  the  Appleby's,"  the  boy  burst  out  at  last  falter- 
ingly  and  with  eyes  averted.  "I  was  drunk  at  the  time — 
else  I  never  would  have  done  it :  but  I  guess  they  saw  how 
it  was  with  me — and  I  was  sore — and " 

He  stopped,  unable  to  go  any  further. 

"I  have  known  all  that  for  some  time,  Ted.  Andy  Wilmot 
told  me;  but  I  guessed  how  it  had  come  about.  You're  just 
a  bit  of  a  kid  after  all  and  haven't  got  much  sense.  All  you 
needed  was  a  licking  and  you  got  it,  you  know,  so  we're  quits 
on  that  score,  I  hope — unless,  of  course — unless  you  still 
bear  me  a  grudge,  which  I  hope  isn't  so." 


312  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

"No,  but  you've  been  too  good  to  me.  I  don't  deserve  it 
after  the  way  I've  treated  you." 

His  voice  faltered  but  his  face  had  cleared. 

At  Kamloops  they  took  the  hotel  bus  for  the  Stewart 
and  Mr.  Lancaster  was  awaiting  them  in  the  smoking  room. 
He  was  very  indignant  at  Layburn. 

"If  it  had  not  been  that  De  Roche  is  an  old  friend  of 
mine,  I  would  not  have  let  the  matter  pass  so  easily,"  he 
said.  "I  think  that  I  might  have  put  up  a  pretty  stiff  fight 
for  the  cattle.  After  all,  Layburn  was  the  manager  and  I 
bought  them  in  good  faith.  I'm  losing  a  good  sum  by  the 
deal  not  going  through." 

They  found  Mr.  Durie  in  the  dining-room  at  breakfast  in 
high  good-humour.  He  had  just  enjoyed  the  unusual 
thrill  of  seeing  a  half-column  interview  of  himself  in  the 
morning  paper.  The  enterprising  reporter  who  had  button- 
holed him  in  the  hall  the  night  before  and  with  whom  he  had 
hardly  exchanged  half  a  dozen  sentences,  had  evidently 
made  the  most  of  these,  embellishing  and  interpolating 
whatever  he  felt  was  necessary  to  make  good  copy.  Mr. 
Durie  was  described  as  a  capitalist  from  Edinburgh,  repre- 
senting large  interests,  who  had  come  out  to  make  extensive 
land  purchases  in  the  district.  The  worthy  solicitor,  un- 
familiar with  transatlantic  press  methods  of  exaggeration, 
had  gasped,  forgetting  altogether  his  ham  and  eggs  rapidly 
growing  cold  as  he  read  and  reread  the  astonishing  para- 
graph. "Extraordinary!"  he  had  muttered.  "Did  ever 
anyone  hear  the  like  of  it?  I  never  said  anything  of  the 
kind.    What  a  tissue  of  exaggeration !" 

All  the  same  his  face  still  bore  a  certain  pleased  ex- 
pression. He  shook  hands  genially  with  Ted  and  then  pro- 
ceeded to  overwhelm  Alistair  with  a  flood  of  raillery  over 
his  sudden  disappearance  of  the  evening  before  which  the 
latter  bore  as  good-humouredly  as  he  could. 

When  he  had  finished  his  breakfast,  leaving  Ted  at  the 
hotel,  he  and  Alistair  called  at  the  latter's  bank  and  ar- 
ranged with  the  manager  to  draw  through  his  correspondent 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  313 

in  Edinburgh  on  Mr.  Durie's  bank  there  for  the  funds  re- 
quired to  be  remitted  to  Mr.  Stubbs  at  Calgary.  Then 
Alistair  wired  Stubbs  to  draw  on  him  at  Kamloops  for 
whatever  was  the  exact  sum  required  for  his  share  of  the 
cattle  to  be  purchased. 

When  they  got  back  to  the  hotel,  Ted  was  waiting  them 
with  the  news  that  he  had  found  a  friend  who  was  motor- 
ing through  to  Austin  and  as  he  would  pass  Inshallah  on 
the  way  he  had  offered  them  a  ride  in  his  car.  Alistair 
could  not  accept,  himself,  as  he  had  still  considerable  business 
to  do,  but  he  persuaded  Mr.  Durie  to  go  with  Ted.  He 
himself  would  come  out  next  morning  with  the  motor 
stage. 

He  was  busy  all  afternoon.  Now  that  Layburn  was  away 
the  whole  management  of  the  ranch  would  be  upon  his 
shoulders  and  there  were  a  number  of  people  to  be  seen. 
He  got  back  to  the  hotel  for  dinner  about  six  and,  in  the 
dining-room,  the  waitress  showed  him  to  a  seat  at  a  table 
where  sat  a  young  lady.  It  was  not  until  he  had  almost 
seated  himself  that  he  found  it  was  Miss  Pelton.  She 
seemed  as  much  surprised  as  he  was,  but  greeted  him 
cordially. 

"A  regular  knight-errant  you  seem  to  have  been  since  I 
saw  you  last.  And  I  was  so  mean  about  your  going  with 
Lorraine  that  I  have  wanted  to  ask  your  forgiveness  ever 
since.  Do  you  know  that  I  went  down  to  Garston  that 
night  to  do  so  and  drove  Tuto  in  the  dark  all  by  myself  be- 
cause I  could  not  bear  to  think  that  I  had  treated  you  so 
meanly.  When  I  got  down  there,  the  train  had  just  pulled 
out  and  I  could  have  cried,  almost." 

Her  tone  was  plaintive  and  her  eyes  pleaded  forgiveness ; 
but  she  was  watching  him  curiously.  For  a  moment  he  was 
at  a  loss  what  to  say. 

"Then,  of  course,  you  knew  that  I  had  accompanied  Miss 
De  Roche  to  Revelstoke  to  get  the  horse  back.  I  could 
hardly  allow  her  to  go  alone,  could  I  ?  I  was  hoping,  how- 
ever, that  the  community  would  not  find  out,  as  you  know 


3i4  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

how  such  things  are  liable  to  be  talked  about.    However,  I 
suppose  they  were  bound  to  know." 

"Oh,  it  was  all  over  the  place  next  day — not  by  my  tell- 
ing, of  course.  I  kept  strictly  mum;  but  you  can't  keep 
these  things  from  getting  out  in  a  district  like  ours.  The 
most  romantic  tales  were  told  about  you  and  Lorraine ;  and 
that  you  had  eloped  was  the  very  least  of  them.  Of  course, 
I  knew  that  it  was  all  stuff  and  nonsense ;  but  it  is  no  use 
to  contradict  in  a  case  of  that  kind  as  you  only  add  fuel  to 
the  fire." 

To  change  the  subject,  he  asked  her  how  she  had  man- 
aged to  get  away  from  school.  It  appeared  that  she  had  got 
another  girl  who  was  visiting  at  Duck  Lake  to  substitute 
for  her  with  the  Board's  permission.  However,  she  was 
going  back  to  Garston  on  the  train  that  night  and  had  her 
horse  and  buggy  at  the  hotel  there,  with  which  she  would 
drive  up  in  the  morning.  She  hoped  Tuto  would  not  be  too 
frisky;  of  late,  he  had  been  sometimes  almost  more  than 
she  could  manage,  she  said. 

"I  am  staying  here  all  night,"  said  Alistair  in  reply  to 
her  question,  "and  shall  go  out  on  the  motor  stage  to-morrow 
morning,  so  I  should  be  at  Duck  Lake  before  you  probably." 

"I  shall  soon  be  going  to  Vancouver."  There  was  a  note 
of  regret  in  her  voice.  "Do  you  ever  go  down  to  the 
Coast?" 

"I  went  through  to  Vancouver  when  I  first  came  out,  but 
I  shall  likely  not  have  time  to  go  again  before  I  return 
home.  I  shall  probably  be  in  a  great  hurry  when  I  do 
leave ;  and  I  shall  take  the  quickest  possible  way.  However, 
it  may  be  a  considerable  time  yet  ere  I  can  leave  Inshallah." 

"Will  the  De  Roches  manage  to  pay  up  all  right?  It  is 
perhaps  an  impertinent  question.  You  see — you  see,  they 
are  such  close  friends  that  I  sometimes  feel  anxious  and 
when — when  I  got  away  I  should  feel  easier  for  Lorraine 
if  I  knew  that  they  were  going  to  come  out  all  right 
financially." 

She  was  blushing  a  little — and  it  became  her.  There  were 
no  flaws  in  her  complexion  and  the  gown  that  she  wore — it 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  3*5 

was  a  rich  blue — set  off  her  white  neck  and  shapely  arms 
to  advantage.  She  was  rinding  him  cold,  however ;  and  she 
seemed  to  make  little  headway.  She  had  the  sense  of  fight- 
ing a  losing  battle.  There  were  serious  things  in  his  mind 
— as  she  guessed — that  preoccupied  it  to  her  disadvantage. 

A  few  days  before,  Alistair  would  have  answered  her 
question  about  the  De  Roche  finances  with  candour;  but 
now  all  he  said  was  he  thought  that  they  would  come  out  all 
right  and  that  she  must  not  fear  for  them.  When  they 
parted  at  the  end  of  the  meal,  he  did  not  offer  to  see  her  off 
at  the  station,  although  she  told  him  that  the  train  left  at 
nine-thirty. 

He  was  reading  a  magazine  in  the  lounge  room  about 
three  hours  later  when  the  hotel  clerk  told  him  he  was 
wanted  on  the  long  distance  telephone.  It  was  the  station 
agent  at  Garston  to  tell  him  that  Miss  De  Roche's  horse 
had  arrived  on  the  evening  freight  consigned  to  him  and 
would  he  come  over  and  take  delivery  of  it.  He  looked  at 
his  watch  and  saw  that  there  was  just  time  to  catch  the 
train.  If  he  went  on  it  he  could  ride  up  on  Pronto  in  the 
morning.     It  would  be  a  pleasant  surprise  for  Lorraine. 

He  paid  his  bill  and  ran  all  the  way,  reaching  the  station 
just  as  the  train  was  slowly  pulling  out.  As  he  walked  into 
the  day-coach  and  sat  down  panting  for  breath  a  soft  voice 
sounded  in  his  ear. 

"So  I'm  going  to  have  your  company,  after  all?  How 
glad  I  am  that  you  have  changed  your  plans.  I  was  just 
feeling  so  lonely." 

He  turned  and  it  was  Miss  Pelton. 

Strange  to  say,  only  a  short  time  after  he  had  left  the 
hotel,  the  clerk  had  another  telephone  call  for  Mr.  Kilgour. 

"He  has  just  checked  out  to  go  on  the  9.30  east-bound." 

"Oh,"  said  the  voice  with  an  inflection  of  disappointment, 
"I  wanted  him  to  get  something  for  me.  Oh,  by  the  way, 
is  Miss  Pelton  there,  then  ?" 

"Miss  Pelton,  too,  went  out  on  the  9.30." 

"Gee!  what  d'ye  think  of  that,  Lorraine,  he's  after  her 
already,"  the  voice  came  over  the  wires  more  faintly.    "I'll 


3i6  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

bet  he  was  fooling  us  about  that  business  he  said  he  had 
to  wait  over  for."  Then  the  voice  spoke  directly  into  the 
'phone.  "Yes,  that  is  all  right  then,  I'm  sorry  to  have 
troubled  you." 


CHAPTER  XLIV 

ALISTAIR  had  forgotten  all  about  the  fact  of  Miss 
Pelton's  going  to  Garston  on  this  train  and  his  feelings 
were  almost  akin  to  dismay  when  he  found  himself  sitting 
beside  her.  He  experienced  a  certain  embarrassment  in 
explaining  the  reason  for  his  change  of  plans.  Her  manner 
was  playful  and  bantering,  but  he  found  it  difficult  to  keep 
the  conversation  from  verging  on  the  sentimental. 

"The  Garston  Hotel  has  interesting  associations  for  us 
both,  has  it  not?"  she  said.  "I  did  not  imagine  that  night 
when  you  gave  me  such  a  scare  that  we  were  going  to  know 
each  other  so  well." 

"No,  indeed,  nor  I  neither;  nor  that  the  acquaintance 
should  be  so  pleasant." 

"Let  us  say  friendship,  surely,"  she  said  with  heightened 
colour. 

"By  all  means ;  it  was,  of  course,  the  word  that  I  should 
have  used." 

Alistair  was  glad  when,  at  last,  the  train  drew  in  at 
Garston  and  they  went  over  to  the  hotel  together,  he  carry- 
ing Miss  Pelton's  suitcase.  Humpty  met  them  in  the  hall 
and  he  looked  at  them  rather  curiousiy,  but  made  no 
remark. 

"Good-night,  then,"  said  Miss  Pelton  at  the  foot  of  the 
stairs  as  she  turned  to  follow  Humpty — who  had  taken  the 
suitcase  from  Alistair — to  her  room,  "or  au  revoir,  shall  it 
be?  as  I  hope  to  see  you  in  the  morning." 

The  glance  that  she  gave  him  had  something  in  it, 
whether  of  reproach  or  entreaty  or  both  he  could  not  de- 
termine ;  but  for  the  moment  it  troubled  him  vaguely. 

The  next  morning  his  pleasant  anticipations  of  riding 
Pronto  up  to  Inshallah  were  doomed  to  disappointment. 
Tuto  was  feeling  very  fresh  and  Miss  Pelton  was  afraid  to 

317 


3i8  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

drive  him  home  alone.  Alistair  acceded  to  her  request  that 
he  should  accompany  her  with  as  good  a  grace  as  he  could 
muster;  and  he  made  arrangements  to  have  Pronto  ridden 
up  later  in  the  day  by  a  cowboy. 

He  had  not  forgotten  the  look  that  Miss  Pelton  had 
given  him  on  parting  the  night  before.  But  the  glamour 
that  her  personality  had  held  for  him  when  last  he  was 
driving  with  her  had  somehow  been  dispelled.  He  had 
grown  to  like  and  admire  the  girl.  The  feeling  might  very 
well  have  grown  stronger,  but  for  the  little  rift  brought 
about  by  Ted  having  sold  Pronto  and  the  dilemma  that  it 
had  presented  him  to  choose  between  offending  her  and 
obeying  the  beck  of  common  courtesy  and  duty  that  would 
constrain  him  to  help  any  girl  he  knew  placed  as  Lorraine 
had  been.  There  had  been  evidenced  a  total  lack  of  under- 
standing between  her  spirit  and  his — a  something  alien  that 
must  act  as  a  barrier ;  and  from  that  time  he  had  ceased  to 
have  her  in  his  thoughts.  He  liked  the  girl,  but  that  was 
as  far  as  it  could  ever  go. 

And  what  were  his  feelings  toward  Lorraine  ?  With  her, 
indeed,  it  had  been  a  battle  from  the  beginning;  from  the 
beginning  he  had  found  hers  a  personality  that  he  had  to 
reckon  with.  Though  he  had  looked  upon  her  as  a  child 
almost,  little  more  than  an  unformed  schoolgirl,  he  had 
found  it  impossible  to  be  indifferent  to  her  opinion.  She 
piqued  his  interest  even  when  he  found  her  most  vexatious. 

The  events  of  the  last  few  days  had  changed  everything 
between  them ;  and  he  had  hardly  yet  become  adjusted  to  the 
difference,  nor  was  he  sure  whether  or  not  in  the  struggle  of 
their  personalities  the  result  had  been  a  victory  for  him. 
He  found  himself  dwelling  with  pleasure  on  the  remem- 
brance of  characteristic  poses  of  her  head,  of  certain  tones 
and  inflections  of  her  voice,  and  again  on  the  indefinable 
charm  and  winsomeness  of  her  smile. 

So  ran  his  thoughts  as  he  and  Miss  Pelton  travelled  along 
beside  the  creek,  for  the  most  part  ascending,  although  here 
and  there  the  road  would  take  a  slight  descent.  It  was  only 
owing  to  Tuto's  ardour  and  Miss  Pelton's  determination  to 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  319 

curb  it  that  he  was  left  to  them  so  long;  but  soon  they 
had  come  to  the  steep  part  where  the  horse  was  glad  to 
proceed  more  sedately  and  his  driver  had  a  chance  to  relax 
her  grasp  on  the  lines  and  to  withdraw  part  of  her  attention 
from  the  driving. 

"You  are  very  silent,"  she  said  at  last.  "I  wish  that  I 
had  the  'open  sesame'  to  your  mind;  there  must  be  all 
sorts  of  treasures  there,  but  it  is  plain  that  you  are  miserly 
and  will  not  share  them." 

"Alas,  the  floor  of  the  treasure  house  is  bare,"  he  averred, 
mendaciously  enough,  "but  who  is  to  be  blamed  though  he 
have  the  riches  of  Sindbad  for  hiding  them  from  one  who 
would  enter  forcibly  and  drag  them  out  for  the  vulgar 
gaze.  I  have  been  admiring  your  good  horsemanship. 
Tuto  is  no  easy  handful  when  he  is  fresh,  is  he?" 

"No,  indeed ;  and  he  usually  seems  as  fresh  at  the  end 
of  the  trip  as  he  does  at  the  beginning.  Were  it  not  for  my 
pridefulness  I  should  give  you  the  reins." 

"And  I  should  decline  the  honour;  besides,  you  would 
never  trust  me." 

"I  would  trust  you  with  more  than  that,"  she  said  softly, 
and  her  eyelashes  swept  her  cheek. 

It  was  a  daring  remark,  she  was  well  aware ;  but  she  felt 
that  it  was  necessary  once  and  for  all  that  she  should  know 
how  she  stood  with  this  man.  She  was  determined  to> 
find  out  whether  he  was  still  interested  in  her.  If  not, 
then  she  need  not  trouble  herself  further  with  him.  Vaca- 
tion being  close  at  hand  it  would  soon  be  time  for  her 
to  return  home.  Her  own  heart  was  not  yet  involved 
sufficiently  to  make  the  parting  a  serious  one,  though  she 
owned  readily  enough  to  herself  that  she  liked  him  better 
than  any  man  who  had  yet  come  within  her  circle  as  a 
possible  parti.  His  position  and  prospects,  too,  as  far  as 
she  could  judge,  while  perhaps  not  brilliant,  were  eminently 
satisfactory  and  such  as  her  parents  would  well  approve. 

Alistair  was  quick  to  gauge  the  drift  of  her  remark  and 
he  determined  that  the  sooner  he  dispelled  any  wrong  idea 
she  might  have  as  to  his  intentions,  the  better  it  would  be. 


320  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

"Ah,  you  might  trust  me  with  the  reins  wisely  enough,  I 
dare  say:  but  not  with  anything  more  important.  I'm  an 
irresponsible  chap  and  any  more  worthy  honours  I  should 
the  more  strongly  decline." 

He  spoke  with  a  tone  of  lightness ;  but  for  her  the  words 
had  no  ambiguity.  She  saw  how  it  was  and,  while  her 
pride  suffered,  her  heart  was  still  whole.  Now  that  she 
had  ventured  on  the  thin  ice,  how  to  get  safely  off,  that  was 
the  difficulty. 

"I  have  too  high  an  opinion  of  you  to  believe  that  you 
will  decline  the  trust  that  I  would  leave  with  you — for  I 
am  going  away  back  to  town  shortly.  I  am  troubled  for 
Lorraine.  I  know  that  she  has  perhaps  not  been  as 
courteous  as  she  might  have  been ;  but  the  circumstances, 
you  must  admit,  have  been  trying.  Last  week  when  we 
were  driving  to  the  Fair,  you  spoke,  I  thought  somewhat 
unkindly  of  her.  No  doubt  you  had  some  cause ;  but  I 
am  hoping  that  you  may  have  changed  your  attitude  towards 
her  since  you  have  had  such  a  romantic  adventure  together. 
If  so,  it  is  all  right  and  my  words  are  not  needed;  but  if 
there  is  still  any  coolness  between  you  two,  I  would  like 
to  ask  you  to  try  to  banish  it — to  help  her  as  much  as  you 
can.  I  know  her  cousin  has  been  forcing  his  attentions 
upon  her  and  that,  together  with  her  father's  sickness  and 
their  financial  troubles — to  say  nothing  of  Ted's  dissipation 
— has  been  a  heavy  load  for  her  to  carry.  I  thought  per- 
haps that  you  would  not  mind  me  speaking  to  you  in  this 
way — for  we  have  been  friends,  haven't  we?" 

"Indeed  we  have ;  and  I  hope  that  we  shall  long  continue 
so.  And  I  shall  accept  the  trust  and  consider  it  an  honour 
that  you  should  impose  it.  I  am  glad  that  you  have  asked 
me,  although  my  attitude  has  changed  towards  Lorraine — 
towards  Miss  De  Roche  in  the  last  few  days.  I  realise  now 
the — the  unworthiness  of  my  former  one — the  childishness 
of  it.  I  should  have  had  more  sense — more  generosity ;  but 
one  learns  as  one  grows  older." 

He  was  delighted  to  find  that  he  had  been  mistaken  in  his 
interpretation  of  her  first  remark  while  he  chuckled  in- 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  321 

wardly  at  the  snub  to  his  own  conceit.  He  felt  warmer  to- 
wards her  because  of  her  championship  of  Lorraine  while 
he  was  amused  to  think  how  unnecessary  it  was. 

"Nuff  said,"  Miss  Pelton  replied  briskly,  changing  the 
subject. 

All  the  way  to  Inshallah  the  conversation  did  not  flag  but 
there  was  no  recurrence  to  the  sentimental ;  and  their  fare- 
well at  the  gate — for  she  refused  to  go  in — was  of  the 
friendliest,  and  free  from  apparent  embarrassment. 


CHAPTER  XLV 

LORRAINE  was  on  the  verandah  arranging  some 
flowers,  she  had  just  picked,  in  vases,  when,  looking  up 
from  her  task,  she  saw  the  buggy  with  Miss  Pelton  and 
Alistair  come  swiftly  along  the  road  and  draw  up  at  the 
gate.  Ted  had  told  her  the  night  before  of  what  he  had 
learned  over  the  telephone  from  the  hotel  clerk  as  to  Al- 
istair's  sudden  change  of  plans,  and  his  own  conclusion  that 
he  had  gone  to  Garston  in  pursuit  of  Miss  Pelton.  This 
only  bore  out  what  Olney  had  told  Lorraine  as  to  their 
being  engaged. 

Ever  since,  Lorraine  had  been  conscious  of  a  sense  of 
depression.  Her  thoughts  had  been  concerned  not  a  little 
with  Mr.  Kilgour  since  her  return  home,  and  she  was 
ashamed  of  herself  for  having  harboured  such  musings. 
She  tried  to  feel  glad  for  both  their  sakes  that  the  two  had 
come  together  again.  She  felt  that  she  ought  to  be  because 
she  had  known  herself  the  original  cause  of  their  temporary 
estrangement,  and  her  over-sensitive  conscience  had  a  slight 
feeling  of  guilt  as  regards  the  past  week  and  its  events.  Not 
that  she  felt  that  she  was  responsible  for  what  had  hap- 
pened or  that  she  had  made  any  advances  to  Mr.  Kilgour. 
The  very  change  in  her  attitude  towards  him,  however,  the 
intimacy  of  their  associations  and  a  sweetness  she  had 
found  in  it  that  she  dare  not  deny  to  herself,  as  well  as  his 
altered  manner  towards  her,  all  made  her  conscious  of  a 
sense  of  disloyalty  to  her  friend. 

So  she  sat  still,  bending  her  head  over  the  flowers,  her 
fingers  doing  their  work  skilfully  even  if  her  thoughts  were 
not  governing  them.  It  was  so  that  Alistair  found  her  as, 
with  a  light  and  eager  foot,  he  mounted  the  steps  and  stood 
looking  down  upon  her. 

She  looked  up  and  smiled  at  him,  noting  on  his  face  a 

322 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  323 

certain  look  of  brightness  and  hope  that  she  had  not  seen 
there  before,  not  even  after  they  had  won  Pronto  from 
Mr.  Stubbs  or  when  they  had  supped  together  coming  on 
the  train  back  from  Revelstoke.  He  had  been  bright  and 
jolly  enough  then;  but  this  was  a  new  expression  with  some- 
thing of  triumph  in  it  as  well  as  something  of  new  hope  or 
joy. 

She  put  the  flowers  that  lay  in  her  lap  on  the  settee  be- 
side her  and  rose  to  her  feet.  His  eyes  were  scanning  her 
face  eagerly  and  noted  its  wistful  cast,  and  in  spite  of  all 
his  ardour,  his  tongue  hesitated.  Lorraine,  true  daughter 
of  Eve,  spoke  first. 

"I  am  glad  to  see  you  back  and  to  be  able  to  thank  you 
for  all  you  did  for  me  and  for  us  all." 

"Oh,  but  that  was  nothing,  nothing  at  all.  Let  us  forget 
about  it ;  but  I  have  some  other  good  news  to  tell  you." 

It  had  happened  as  she  had  thought  then  and  he  was  go- 
ing to  tell  her.  He  expected  her  to  be  glad,  as  she  ought 
to  be  for  Amy's  sake  and  his,  for  were  they  not  both  her 
friends.  She  felt  terrified  that  she  might  betray  to  him  that 
she  was  not  as  glad  as  he  expected ;  that  her  congratulations 
might  seem  cold  and  perfunctory  in  spite  of  herself  from 
her  very  nervousness.  He  had  paused,  and  in  her  panic 
the  silence  seemed  pregnant  and  ominous.  If  she  did  not 
speak  he  would  think  her  cold  and  might  guess  at  what  her 
own  heart  had  not  yet  dared  to  admit  to  her.  She  would 
lose  his  good  opinion  which  she  felt  she  had  won,  and  this 
would  be  grievous  to  her.  So  with  a  precipitancy  born  of 
her  panic  she  hastened  to  fill  the  void  at  the  first  opportunity, 
to  forestall  if  she  might  such  an  unwelcome  contingency. 

"I  think  I  can  guess  what  is  your  good  news;  and  I  con- 
gratulate you  most  heartily  and  wish  you  both  every  joy. 
I  am  so  fond  of  Amy — she  is  such  a  lovely  girl — and  I  know 
that  you  will  make  her  happy.  I  have  cause  to  know  how 
kind  and — and.  how  noble  you  are ;  and  I  was  afraid — I  was 
afraid  that  what — you  had  done  for  me — might  make  a 
barrier  between  you,  and  that  it  would  be  my  fault." 

She  held  out  the  little  hand  to  him  that  he  had  clasped 


324  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

only  once  before,  and  he  took  it  with  some  embarrassment, 
keeping  hold  of  it,  however,  as  something  that  might  steady 
him  in  his  astonishment.  When  his  thoughts  were  full  of 
his  own  love  for  her  so  recently  born  but  already  waxing  so 
great  in  his  consciousness  that  everything  else  in  his  life 
seemed  to  be  dwarfed  into  nothingness,  to  have  her  burst 
upon  him  with  congratulations  on  his  presumed  engagement 
to  a  girl  for  whom  he  did  not  care  was  a  blow  that  was  be- 
wildering, to  say  the  least. 

"B-b-b-but  you  are  quite  mistaken — the  good  news  is  for 
you  and  not  for  me.  I  am  not  engaged  to  Miss  Pelton  nor 
am  I  likely  to  be.  There  is  nothing  between  us  at  all  and 
never  was.  I  don't  know  how  you  could  ever  think  such  a 
thing." 

"But  Olney  said  so — and  why  did  you  follow  her  down  to 
Garston  last  night,  then?"  she  faltered,  to  justify  herself. 

She  had  dropped  her  eyes  before  his  gaze ;  for  she  found 
that  she  could  not  meet  it.  Her  heart  was  beating  fast  and 
she  would  have  drawn  her  hand  away  but  for  the  fact  that 
he  was  still  holding  it  tightly  and  she  could  not. 

"Follow  Miss  Pelton !"  he  exclaimed,  "when  I  was  dying 
to  get  bcfck  to  you.  How  could  you  possibly  imagine  such  a 
thing?" 

"Tome?" 

Her  voice  was  faint,  just  the  merest  whisper;  and  one 
brief  second  he  had  a  glimpse  of  her  eyes,  suffused  and 
misty  like  the  sea  is  sometimes  when  the  fog  curtain  lifts, 
but  eloquent  of  something  that  he  was  quick  to  read.  He 
had  meant  to  say  more,  but  speech  was  too  slow  when 
thought  could  fly  from  eye  to  eye  and  pass  through  clasped 
hands  like  an  electric  current.  Why  wait  to  lay  siege  to 
the  city  when  its  defences  lie  open  already  to  the  invader? 

He  was  still  holding  her  hand  and  he  must  either  drop  it 
and  draw  back  or  press  on  to  a  closer  and  more  intimate 
contact.  Her  eyes  had  told  him  that  he  had  her  heart; 
when  he  looked  down  at  the  lissom  gracefulness  of  her 
girlish  figure  so  appealing  in  its  youthful  delicacy  of  outline 
and  the  face  that  had  once  seemed  so  scornful  now  suffused 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  325 

with  a  tell-tale  flush  and  glowing  with  the  tender  light  of 
love,  what  could  he  do  but  take  her  in  his  arms  and  put 
the  seal  of  his  confession  on  her  lips. 

"And  you  really  love  me  after  all?"  she  said,  at  last  dar- 
ing to  look  at  him  with  eyes  that  were  lustrous. 

The  face  that  she  had  known  so  hard  and  grim,  which 
she  had  scorned  and  hated  and  longed  at  times  to  humble, 
was  now  looking  down  upon  her  in  fondness. 

"I  really  love  you,  Lorraine;  I  have  loved  you  a  long 
time  and  did  not  know  it,  dear.  I  love  the  sound  of  your 
voice  and  the  curve  of  your  eyelashes  and  the  adorable 
way  that  your  hair  curls  in  clinging  tendrils  round  your 
little  ear.  I  love  you  when  you  are  angry  and  when  you 
are  sad  and  when  you  are  merry ;  but  most  of  all  when  you 
are  as  you  are  now  and  I  feel  that  you  are  my  very  own. 
When  I  hold  you  in  my  arms  this  way  and  I  think — when  I 
hope,  at  least — that  you  don't  want  to  get  away.  And  you 
don't,  dear,  do  you?" 

"I  know  that  it  isn't  any  use,  you  hold  me  so  tight,  sir." 

"Call  me  Alistair,"  he  commanded  masterfully.  "Sir  me 
no  sirs,  Madam  Mischievous,  nor  jest  about  matters  that 
are  sacred  or  I  shall  hold  you  tighter ;  and  tell  me  this,  when 
did  you  first  learn  to  love  me?" 

She  hesitated ;  and,  looking  up  at  him,  her  lips  took  on  a 
touch  of  roguery. 

"May  it  please  my  lord " 

"I  said  'Alistair,' "  he  interrupted,  frowning. 

"May  it  please  my  lord,  Alistair  then,"  she  repeated  to  his 

prompting,  "it  was "  she  hesitated  with  the  mischiev- 

ousness  of  a  child  that  means  to  be  naughty  but  falters  for 
fear  of  the  consequences — "it  was  when  you  called  me 
Xantippe." 

"Do  not  jest  with  me,"  he  pleaded. 

"And  laughed  alike  at  my  anger  and  my  tears,  sir — I 
mean,  Alistair,"  she  was  hurrying  now  to  appease,  for  she 
feared  she  had  hurt  him — "and  when  that  night  I  looked 
through  my  fingers  at  you  and  saw  how  handsome  you 
looked  and  yet  how  stern — oh,  how  stern  and  dominating 


326  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

with  your  head  thrown  back  and  your  chin  thrust  out — I 
just  knew  that  you  had  beaten  me  and  I  liked  you  the  better 
for  it.  Then  when  I  gave  in  to  you  and — and — and  you 
were  so  kind  and  gentle  to  me,  I  think  it  was  then,  sir — I 
think  that  it  was  then,  Alistair,  my  dear,  that  I  first  knew 
that  I  loved  you  and — and — and  I  hope  that  now  you  are 
satisfied." 

Falling  back  upon  the  lip-language  which  is  so  potent  for 
love  making,  he  kissed  her  again  for  answer. 

Just  at  this  moment  footsteps  were  heard  on  the  verandah 
steps,  the  footsteps  of  Miss  Paget  and  Mr.  Durie,  who  had 
returned  from  a  walk  as  far  as  the  store.  They  were  al- 
most as  much  taken  aback  as  the  two  wooers  by  the  sight 
that  met  them  and  they  halted  half-way  up  the  steps,  ar- 
rested by  astonishment.  The  former  had  hurriedly  sep- 
arated and  were  standing  side  by  side  blushing  and  alto- 
gether out  of  countenance.  Alistair,  however,  although  his 
face  had  flushed,  was  not  so  discomposed.  With  head 
thrown  back,  he  faced  the  newcomers  assured  and  elated. 

"Lorraine  has  just  promised  to  be  my  wife,"  he  said. 

Mr.  Durie  was  the  first  to  answer  him. 

"Bless  my  soul !  so  you  are  back  again,  Alistair,  my  boy, 
and  that  is  what  you  are  up  to.  You  certainly  have  lost  no 
time,  it  would  appear.  Well,  well,  I  am  sure  I  must  con- 
gratulate you  and  extend  the  best  of  good  wishes  to  you,  my 
dear  young  lady.  I  have  known  the  young  man  since  he 
was  in  knickers  and  I  can  say  I  believe  he  will  make  you 
happy." 

He  held  out  his  hand  to  Lorraine,  whose  face  was  rosy 
with  smiles  and  blushes,  and  then  to  Alistair,  who  clasped 
it  warmly — so  warmly,  indeed,  in  the  nervousness  induced 
by  the  occasion  that  the  lawyer  was  forced  to  cry  for  mercy 
from  the  vigour  of  the  grasp.  Meanwhile  Miss  Paget  had 
run  to  Lorraine  and  kissed  her. 

"My  dear,  I  am  glad  but  I  am  not  surprised,"  said  this 
wise  woman  who  had,  in  truth,  foreseen  the  event.  "I  am 
glad  to  welcome  you  into  the  family  and  I  am  sure  that  my 
brother-in-law  will  do  the  same,"  she  said  to  Alistair. 


THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR  327 

"What  news  do  you  think  I  got  at  the  store?"  asked  Mr. 
Durie,  flourishing  a  telegram  at  Alistair.  "A  message  from 
Stubbs  saying  that  he  has  sold  the  cattle  already  at  three 
thousand  dollars'  profit  to  us;  and  the  half  of  it  is  yours,  my 
boy,  so  that  should  pay  for  the  honeymoon,  eh?  It  is  most 
astonishing;  but  it  seems  cattle  are  going  up  with  leaps  and 
bounds.  It  would  really  seem  as  if  I  am  born  lucky.  There 
was  that  Argentine  business  which  I  told  you  of,  you  re- 
member. And  while  I  think  of  it,  boy,  just  to  relieve  your 
mind  at  this  happy — this  most  felicitous  occasion" — and  he 
bowed  ceremoniously  to  Lorraine — "I  may  say  that  I  have 
been  talking  over  with  Miss  Paget  here  the  matter  of  this 
mortgage  which  has  been  worrying  you  all — I  have,  of 
course,  explained  to  her  how  it  is  imperative  that  your 
father  should  have  this  money  in  order  to  meet  the  mortgage 
on  his  own  place  which  is  being  foreclosed — and  I  have 
decided  after  seeing  what  a  splendid  security  is  offered  in 
this  ranch  to  purchase  the  existing  mortgage  from  your 
father — at  its  face  value,  of  course,  so  that  his  money  may 
be  returned  to  him.  This  will  be  mutually  beneficial,  I  hope, 
as  I  shall  be  getting  an  excellent  investment  at  a  rate  of 
interest — eight  per  cent — such  as  I  have  never  enjoyed 
before,  and  your  father  will  be  able  to  pay  off  the  bond  on 
Greycrags.  Eight  per  cent  seems  usurious  to  me  but  then, 
of  course,  if  it  is  the  custom  of  the  country,  no  one  will  be 
likely  to  call  me  a  Shylock.  What  do  you  think  of  that 
proposal  ?" 

"It  seems  a  very  desirable  and  satisfactory  one  from  my 
standpoint,  sir,"  said  Alistair,  "and  a  very  generous  one  on 
yours." 

"Generous,  fiddlesticks ;  nothing  of  the  kind ;  grasping 
if  you  like,  but  not  generous." 

Suddenly  Alistair  remembered  the  news,  the  telling  of 
which  he  had  been  so  full  of  on  his  arrival. 

"Oh,  I  forgot  to  tell  you  what  was  my  good  news,  Lor- 
raine, that  Pronto  is  on  his  way  up  from  the  station.  I 
should  have  ridden  him  myself  only  Miss  Pelton  made  me 
drive  up  with  her." 


328  THE  QUEST  OF  ALISTAIR 

"Oh,  I  am  so  glad,"  said  Lorraine,  her  eyes  misty. 

"You  will  be  interested  to  learn,  Alistair,"  said  Mr. 
Durie,  "that  Miss  Paget  has  volunteered  to  teach  me  to 
ride;  and  I  have  promised  not  to  go  home  until  I  have 
mastered  it." 

"I  sincerely  hope  then,  sir,  that  for  our  benefit,  at  least, 
you  will  be  a  long  time  in  learning." 

Mr.  Durie  looked  at  him  quizzically  for  a  moment  and 
then  glanced  shyly  at  Miss  Paget. 

"It  would  please  me  mightily,  my  boy,  if  I  thought  that 
my  teacher  might  have  the  same  wish." 

Miss  Paget  blushed  and  looked  down,  and  now  it  was 
her  turn  to  change  the  subject;  but  her  air  did  not  convey 
that  she  was  offended,  indeed  she  seemed  pleased. 

"Mr.  Durie,"  she  said,  "it  seems  to  me  that  we  have 
interrupted  these  young  people  at  a  very  inopportune  mo- 
ment and  the  sooner  we  leave  them  to  finish  their  business 
the  better.  Suppose  we  go  and  break  the  news  to  my 
brother-in-law,  and  they  can  follow  us  in  ten  minutes  or 
so,  as  soon  as  they  are  ready,"  and  the  two  went  into  the 
house. 

When  they  had  gone  Lorraine  was  seized  with  a  sudden 
access  of  shyness. 

"I  had  forgotten  my  flowers,  I  must  finish  them  before 
dinner." 

"Let  us  sit  down  and  finish  them,  together,  Lorraine," 
Alistair  replied.  "From  now  on,  dearest,  in  joy  and  in 
sadness,  in  sickness  or  pain,  it  shall  be  we  two  together 
always,  all  the  wray." 


THE    END 


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